notional

adjective

no·​tion·​al ˈnō-sh(ə-)nəl 

1

: theoretical, speculative

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

notionality

ˌnō-shə-ˈna-lə-tē 

noun

notionally

ˈnō-sh(ə-)nə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• abstract
• conceptual
• ideal
• ideational
• metaphysical
• theoretical
• theoretic

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

But since the inflation metrics are estimating a notional rent based on rising real-world prices that renters are paying, homeowners’ implicit costs are up. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 9 June 2024

Amur hardware does not exist, and all plans regarding its development are notional. —Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 16 Apr. 2024

Although still under notional party control, the high command took advantage of certain intrinsic monopolies—such as intelligence flow and military-technical expertise—to expand its policy influence in areas touching on the PLA’s corporate interests. —Christopher Johnson, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2023

The results are based on the trading platform’s customer notional net percentage buy/sell behavior for stocks that comprise the S&P 500 sectors. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 4 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1