notional

American  

[noh-shuh-nl] / ˈnoʊ ʃə nl /

adjective

1. pertaining to or expressing a notion or idea.

2. of the nature of a notion or idea.

   a notional response to the question.

3. abstract, theoretical, or speculative, as reflective thought.

4. not real or actual; ideal or imaginary.

   to create a notional world for oneself.

5. given to or full of foolish or fanciful ideas or moods.

6. Grammar.

   1. relating to the meaning expressed by a linguistic form.

   2. having full lexical meaning, in contrast to relational.

7. Semantics. belonging to a class of words that express clear concepts rather than relations between concepts; presentive.

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notional British  

/ ˈnəʊʃənəl /

adjective

1. relating to, expressing, or consisting of notions or ideas

2. not evident in reality; hypothetical or imaginary

   a notional tax credit

3. characteristic of a notion or concept, esp in being speculative or imaginary; abstract

4. grammar

   1. (of a word) having lexical meaning

   2. another word for semantic

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Other Word Forms

• nonnotional adjective
• notionality noun
• notionally adverb
• unnotional adjective
• unnotionally adverb

Etymology

Origin of notional

First recorded in 1590–1600; notion + -al ¹

Example Sentences

As a flat, rigid representation of a fluctuating and notional three-dimensional space, it wasn’t perfect.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

“While overall average daily net notional moderated in February, the intensity of dip-buying actually increased.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026

Yet in the 15 months since the ceasefire was signed, it has proved to be more notional for Lebanon, with Israeli warplanes and troops conducting well over 10,000 truce violations, according to the U.N.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

More complex structured instruments as well as increased leverage in the private markets that are now available mean that the real-world footprint of many assets are many times their notional value.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

When two partners divide up the profits of a business between them they assign a notional book value to the stock in hand.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton