notion

American  

[noh-shuhn] / ˈnoʊ ʃən /

noun

notions plural

1. a general understanding; vague or imperfect conception or idea of something.

   a notion of how something should be done.

2. an opinion, view, or belief.

   That's his notion, not mine.

3. conception or idea.

   his notion of democracy.

4. a fanciful or foolish idea; whim.

   She had a notion to swim in the winter.

5. an ingenious article, device, or contrivance; knickknack.

6. notions, small articles, as buttons, thread, ribbon, and other personal items, especially such items displayed together for sale, as in a department store.

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notion British  

/ ˈnəʊʃən /

noun

1. a vague idea; impression

2. an idea, concept, or opinion

3. an inclination or whim

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Usage

What are other ways to say notion? A notion is a vague or imperfect idea or a general understanding of something. How is it different from thought, conception, and idea? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• notionless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• notions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of notion

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin nōtiōn- (stem of nōtiō ) “examination, idea,” equivalent to (g)nōt(us), past participle of (g)nōscere “to come to know” + -iōn- suffix forming nouns; see notify, -ion

Explanation

If you have a notion that you can swim across the ocean, you are probably wrong. A notion is an idea, often vague and sometimes fanciful. A notion is lighter than a theory and embraces a whimsy that a simple idea never could. You might have the notion that you can slow global warming by taking public transportation and reusing plastic bags. If you share a far-fetched idea with others, someone might respond with a "Where'd you get that notion?!" Notions can also refer to the buttons, thread, zippers, and pins necessary for sewing things. So if you have a notion to create your own Halloween costume, you better pick up some notions from the craft store.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

notion notions

However, BBC Sport understands Arteta has become so smitten with the notion of signing Vinicius that he is viewed internally as the club's number one target.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

A notion that blossomed from an idealistic vision was Martinized into a cult-like excursion for the privileged.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

Perhaps understandably, those top AI developers are approaching the government every few months with the notion of banning open-source models.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

President Claudia Sheinbaum has dismissed as fake news any notion that Mexico is in jeopardy of losing the collection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Then when it became apparent Ob and I were probably going to rely on peanut butter to pull us through, he finally got the notion to go on home.

From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant

I think that many baby boomers have remained more active than our parents in general and that is a major difference and reason why we might be challenging some preconceived notions on aging.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Helen adds that despite "archaic notions" still being attached to endometriosis, a greater awareness is a positive to both diagnosed and undiagnosed people.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

Theater artists who have come of age in this period have been released from the burden of having to conform to notions of regional theater respectability.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

Lee himself poured cold water on these notions during a June 8 press conference.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

Although our apparently commonsense notions work well when dealing with things like apples, or planets that travel comparatively slowly, they don’t work at all for things moving at or near the speed of light.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Related Words

• approach
• assumption
• concept
• conception
• image
• impression
• knowledge
• opinion
• perception
• sentiment
• suggestion
• thought
• understanding
• view