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
This is what Thadeus loves: a test of his store of poetic similes, even if, these days, his poetry-writing is notional.
—
Han Ong, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2025
The token has been highly volatile but appears to be worth billions of dollars of notional value to the Trump family.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2025
His tax reform of 1978, a major priority, was dead on arrival even among notional allies.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 2 Jan. 2025
This could push China first over the finish line in a notional race to return Martian materials to Earth—but at considerable scientific cost.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for notional
Han Ong, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2025
The token has been highly volatile but appears to be worth billions of dollars of notional value to the Trump family.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2025
His tax reform of 1978, a major priority, was dead on arrival even among notional allies.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 2 Jan. 2025
This could push China first over the finish line in a notional race to return Martian materials to Earth—but at considerable scientific cost.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for notional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for notional
Adjective
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This isn’t just theoretical—Ben & Jerry’s founders have openly discussed buying back the brand from Unilever.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
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The best theoretical fit thus far is known as the Lambda CDM model, which incorporates both a weakly interacting cold dark matter and dark energy.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
Ars Technica,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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After the war, that technology, developed by a painfully pretentious guru named Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci), was sold to the public as a way of keeping them sedated and immersed in imaginary worlds.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
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And now a question for a future newsletter: Do the kids in your life have imaginary friends?—
Anna North,
Vox,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Beckett reminds us of the metaphysical vastness that the stage can contain.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 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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Morgan & Morgan, the firm that puts up those annoying Philly billboards, was fined after one of their lawyers admitted to using an AI program that generated fictitious case citations in a legal filing.—
Isaac Avilucea,
Axios,
26 Feb. 2025
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Putin cannot refuse a ceasefire, without losing the fictitious moral high ground.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Facts and figures alone fail to inspire, but stories humanize data, making abstract concepts relatable and emotionally engaging.—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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He is known for his colorful blend of Eastern and Western painting styles, abstract sculptures and ink paintings.—
The Editors of ARTnews,
ARTnews.com,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This sends him on a high-stakes journey to find the mythical Last Wish, a fabled star that can restore his lost lives.—
Jane LaCroix,
People.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega escape a murderous mythical creature in an exclusive new clip from Death of a Unicorn, in theaters March 28.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But nine months in, except for releasing broad, conceptual artists’ renderings to neighborhood groups, HP Village — rebranded last year at The Village Collection — has yet to submit even preliminary plans to City Hall or the City Plan Commission.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2025
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Unlike regular magazines, Billboard Artist is a large-format, unbound conceptual edition where each page feels like a collectible poster.—
Billboard Korea,
Billboard,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In this mostly fictional version, the reclusive Omara has to decide whether or not to come back from retirement and record with her old colleagues from the fervent Cuban years, thus confronting those ghosts.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
20 Mar. 2025
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Here are our 25 favorite pairs of fictional best friends from movies and TV.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
EW.com,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Notional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notional. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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