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
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of notional
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.
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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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for notional
Adjective
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Unfortunately, Leibniz became all too fascinated by theoretical questions of dynamics, exasperating the miners.Anthony Gottlieb, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
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Each year, the Robot – a naïve stock-picking paradigm, generates a theoretical portfolio of ten very unpopular stocks.John Dorfman, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The feature, from experimental filmmaker Matthew Rankin, is an absurdist comedy set in an imaginary Canada where French and Farsi are the country’s two official languages.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2025
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Advertisement Since Southern California was located somewhere near 6:30 on this imaginary clock face, the result was winds traveling from east to west — the opposite of their normal direction.Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Carlson’s images combust with metaphysical abundance.Jeremy Lybarger, ARTnews.com, 6 Jan. 2025
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Though scientific evidence for crystal healing is yet to be established, many spiritual practitioners believe in their metaphysical properties, which are thought to support emotional and spiritual transformation.Valerie Mesa, People.com, 23 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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However, that didn’t stop the fictitious school district from announcing closings as the North Texas deals with freezing rain and snow.Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Jan. 2025
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Much like the fictitious film, Moss’s relationship with his youngest child’s mother has been tumultuous.Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The mood looks both delightful and a little melancholic — tiny, abstract people making their way in the biggest, loneliest of places.Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
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Indeed, a persistent criticism is that their artistic approach evades urgent issues in favor of abstract or anodyne statements.Travis Diehl, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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There’s a reason that on his goalie mask is painted a mythical phoenix, rising from the ashes.Kevin Kurz, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
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What To Know Hindu pilgrims gather at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers, seeking liberation from the cycle of rebirth.John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Disability Studies: Foundations & Key Concepts This non-exhaustive reading list highlights some of the key debates and conceptual shifts in disability studies.JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 8 Jan. 2025
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The intentionally empty area around Sgr A*'s frame seemed to actually punctuate its conceptual and visual weight in a way its typical online backdrop of search bars and Google Chrome tabs never has for me.Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The duo first shared the screen in 1999's Any Given Sunday, which follows a fictional professional football team.Nicholas Rice, People.com, 18 Jan. 2025
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In his office, Berg used an ice axe to pitch Smith on a collaboration, which would eventually follow a fictional frontiersman and mother-son duo navigating the Westward expansion.Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near notional
Cite this Entry
“Notional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notional. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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