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
Meta's notional short interest has soared 75%, or $11 billion, so far in 2025, S3 said in a note Monday.
—
Pia Singh,yun Li, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2025
The works were notional pastiches of real-world desperation.
—Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Investor sentiment surrounding bitcoin has spiked recently as the total notional interest in futures tied to this digital currency has climbed, reaching an all-time high over the last several days, according to market analyst Greg Magadini.
—Charles Lloyd Bovaird Ii, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Furthermore, these cosmic close calls might be best understood using concepts derived from string theory—a notional theory of everything that posits that all of nature is fundamentally composed of countless, wriggling subatomic strings.
—Ramin Skibba, Scientific American, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for notional
Pia Singh,yun Li, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2025
The works were notional pastiches of real-world desperation.
—Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Investor sentiment surrounding bitcoin has spiked recently as the total notional interest in futures tied to this digital currency has climbed, reaching an all-time high over the last several days, according to market analyst Greg Magadini.
—Charles Lloyd Bovaird Ii, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Furthermore, these cosmic close calls might be best understood using concepts derived from string theory—a notional theory of everything that posits that all of nature is fundamentally composed of countless, wriggling subatomic strings.
—Ramin Skibba, Scientific American, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for notional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for notional
Adjective
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That volume of data is impractical to fit theoretical models to deliver large-scale, accurate predictions.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The material enhances performance The team elucidated the material’s mechanism through a series of experimental analyses, including solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy, electron spin resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and theoretical calculations.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Few characters, real or imaginary, have sustained this type of stage and screen presence for so many decades.—
Michael Taube,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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But Laura, used to getting away with murder, just neglected Daniel’s imaginary corpse after conjuring it.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This time, Scott had a less metaphysical explanation for his torment.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
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The materialist, physiological explanation for the phenomenon of panic generates a bright contrast with the philosophical and metaphysical inquiries that have Nicholas, and Clune, in their grip.—
Scott Stossel,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The fictitious play would suffer the kind of malchance that builds momentum, gains form, enslaves a story to its premise.—
Lauren Rothery,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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Tyriq Withers stars as Cameron Cade, a disciplined athlete who has a shot at playing in a fictitious national league that absolutely is not the NFL.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Thousands of white geese, their individual bodies barely visible, fill the frame as their blurred yellow-and white wings create an abstract pattern.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Fforme’s liquid silk dresses shimmered with ease, and Ulla Johnson’s abstract painterly prints struck a vibrant chord.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Nowadays, these routes and addresses can sometimes call to my mind the Camino Real—the old Spanish road lost and buried but commuted upon daily—or that mythic expanse of the Mediterranean where Odysseus lost his way and people live and work to this day.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
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For baseball aficionados, the name Sandy Koufax is almost mythical.—
Steve Futterman,
NPR,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For the moment though, the arm-packing robo-mower is still conceptual, and the NexLawn team hasn't revealed any production plans.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Sep. 2025
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Thom Browne, designer The designer has become globally recognized for his avant-garde approach to women’s and men’s, couture and even home, with conceptual runway shows that are must-sees in New York and Paris.—
WWD Staff,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But all characters and events portrayed are fictional.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
20 Sep. 2025
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Created by Oscar winner Callie Khouri, the series tracks the tangled personal and professional lives of fictional country stars navigating fame, rivalries, and the high-stakes world of Music City.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Notional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notional. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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