notional
adjective
no·tion·al
ˈnō-sh(ə-)nəl 
1
2
: existing in the mind only : imaginary
3
: given to foolish or fanciful moods or ideas
4
a
: of, relating to, or being a notion or idea : conceptual
b(1)
: presenting an idea of a thing, action, or quality
has is notional in he has luck, relational in he has gone
(2)
: of or representing what exists or occurs in the world of things as distinguished from syntactic categories
Synonyms
Examples of notional in a Sentence
The notional earnings of the company were close to the actual ones.
she has a notional understanding of romantic love but no actual experience of being in love
Recent Examples on the Web
Massive volume of over 200 million shares ( three times average volume) states that the nearly $20 billion (notional value) of short positions raced to the exit door.
—
Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 25 Oct. 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
But the height was already enough to eliminate Chris Nilsen, a U.S. pole vaulter and the silver medallist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, who was a notional rival.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for notional 
Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 25 Oct. 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
But the height was already enough to eliminate Chris Nilsen, a U.S. pole vaulter and the silver medallist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, who was a notional rival.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for notional
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'notional.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near notional
Cite this Entry
“Notional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/notional. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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