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
The right wing-back is outstanding at maintaining his width and providing an overlapping option, with the notional right winger (usually either Bergwijn or Simons) dropping inside to create an overload in midfield.
—
Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic, 10 July 2024
Note that the share price of e.l.f. is 26% higher than that of EL, so the notional exposure of one long elf call spread vs one short EL call spread does not offset one another perfectly.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for notional 
Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic, 10 July 2024
Note that the share price of e.l.f. is 26% higher than that of EL, so the notional exposure of one long elf call spread vs one short EL call spread does not offset one another perfectly.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for notional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for notional
Adjective
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For the past two years the setting has been 90 seconds to midnight, with midnight meaning the theoretical annihilation of humanity, by design or by mistake.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA TODAY,
28 Jan. 2025
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These are no longer theoretical applications; pilot programs in cities like Amsterdam and Singapore are already proving their feasibility.—
Nick Herbert,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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If a planet is visible from the night side of Earth, it can only ever be seen along an imaginary path through the sky called the ecliptic.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
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Monday’s victory was only a month and a week removed from one of the more embarrassing losses of the Knicks season, an NBA Cup quarterfinal loss Young punctuated by rolling a set of imaginary die on The Garden’s center-court logo.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But tension quickly develops between Elizabeth and this perky new creation (Margaret Qualley), sparking a metaphysical battle that takes a toll on both of them.—
Scott Tobias,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
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Carlson’s images combust with metaphysical abundance.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
ARTnews.com,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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It’s described as a biopic, but Peppiatt admits some parts of the story are fictitious.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
23 Jan. 2025
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Detectives also found that Labelle allegedly altered several documents and provided the homeowner with fictitious receipts to deceive them, according to Riley.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Some were small enough to appear nearly abstract from a distance, while others were larger than life-size, their motifs instantly recognizable from across the room.—
Richard Meyer,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2025
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The bottom line: The ripple effects of Trump's tariffs may seem abstract and far off for many Americans, but that could change quickly.—
Jason Lalljee,
Axios,
31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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According to the folklore, a mythical beast would come and devour villagers and livestock each Chinese New Year, but the beast was afraid of loud noises and the color red.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Jan. 2025
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Villagers dressed as cranes, roosters and mythical lions pose for portraits standing amid crops or in fallow farmland.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Elsewhere, beauty this week was equal parts femme and freaky: nail art was sculptural, flipped and reversed, hair was piled high to make a poncy French monarch proud, and conceptual makeup took inspo from nature’s most ornate creatures.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2025
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There is a certain conceptual power in this, as though Shahverdi were shaping the filmmaking itself, though this approach has its limits.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Ukraine is a fictional state...the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.—
Maya Mehrara,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
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The book’s epilogue imagines a world in which similar missions don’t go so well; a fictional NASA spokesperson describes the mysterious loss of a crewed space capsule.—
Cal Newport,
The New Yorker,
29 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near notional
Cite this Entry
“Notional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notional. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.
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