1
as in theoretical
dealing with or expressing a quality or idea
she has a notional understanding of romantic love but no actual experience of being in love
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination
your computer's "visits" to various parts of cyberspace are entirely notional—you stay put and the Web pages come to you
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of notional
At that time, the anger within the family pushed the idea of a pardon from the notional to the plausible, according to several people familiar with the president’s thinking.
—
Katie Rogers, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2024
Mauritius may have gambled with its national dowry, but its consideration for a destitute citizenry wasn’t merely notional.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
As options trading expands, the notional value tied to bitcoin could increase substantially, without requiring physical bitcoin to be bought or sold.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Apple, which was down 9% on Thursday experienced the second largest notional loss in the market's history.
—Jj Kinahan, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for notional
Katie Rogers, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2024
Mauritius may have gambled with its national dowry, but its consideration for a destitute citizenry wasn’t merely notional.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
As options trading expands, the notional value tied to bitcoin could increase substantially, without requiring physical bitcoin to be bought or sold.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Apple, which was down 9% on Thursday experienced the second largest notional loss in the market's history.
—Jj Kinahan, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for notional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for notional
Adjective
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The Dutch theoretical physicist, now a professor emeritus at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, has spent much of the past half-century reshaping our understanding of the fundamental forces that knit together reality.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
7 Apr. 2025
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Legacy power grids, water systems and emergency response networks are no longer theoretical.—
Marty Sprinzen,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Emmy Award-winner plays the Black woman stand-in for a white male protagonist in an imaginary story to repurpose the popularity of a once successful Keyworth Pictures’ franchise.—
Malik Peay,
Essence,
17 Apr. 2025
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Perception Of Threat: In situations of aggression, whether real or imaginary, a natural response is to fight back.—
Naira Velumyan,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In the 19th century, philosophers and poets dabbled with it in the pursuit of metaphysical insights.—
Ella Jeffries,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 Apr. 2025
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Beelzebub, however, is nothing but evil incarnate, first appearing as a sort of metaphysical pollution—a writhing black oil-like glob suspended in midair.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Amid the audience laughter at a lecture, U.S. Navy oceanographer Robert Ballard bit his tongue and told the questioner the jewelry was fictitious.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
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Searches were carried out in France and Belgium last month to determine if his Belgian tax domicile was fictitious.—
Saskya Vandoorne,
CNN,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum fills in the gaps, connecting the old world to the new with impressionists and abstract pioneers.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
11 Apr. 2025
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Kozloff also made and exhibited abstract paintings that channeled heroes such as Pierre Bonnard and Philip Guston.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This relic of constitutional law, which the Supreme Court hasn’t taken seriously since its quiet death in the New Deal era, is more mythical than historical—holding, more or less, that Congress cannot delegate its lawmaking power to another branch of government.—
Cristian Farias,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
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This name originates from a Greek myth. Eunice: Another historic Greek name, the mythical Eunice was the sea-nymph daughter of Nereus and Doris.—
Lydia Wang,
Parents,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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After this period, Lennon and Ono would never again court the world’s attention with ambitious conceptual stunts or overt political protests.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
12 Apr. 2025
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The event’s lead designer, the late avant-garde architect Kenzo Tange, was known for conceptual floating cities and grand, outlandish megastructures.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Bad Summer People, which has drawn comparisons to The White Lotus, is set in the idyllic fictional town of Salcombe, Fire Island, and follows a sequence of life shattering events when a body is discovered off the side of the boardwalk.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
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In the series, Sephora becomes a sponsor for the fictional Los Angeles Waves basketball team, of which Kate Hudson’s character becomes the president.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Notional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notional. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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