notional

[noh-shuh-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.

notional

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of notional¹

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

Example Sentences

Mr. Rees’s book shows the messiness and fluidity of life in the ancient world, where hard borders were notional at best and where cultural identities overlapped.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He’s long been running a notional portfolio he calls “All Asset No Authority,” which I’ve written about before and which consists of equal investments in seven different asset classes, one of which is gold bullion.

Read more on MarketWatch

Brown responded that she was distraught, “but since you never actually write anything, I should say I am notionally distraught.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But Streeting’s view became public after he told a large, notionally private, meeting of Labour MPs what he thought.

Read more on BBC

The Democratic Party did indeed defenestrate its notional leader, at nearly the last possible instant and in dramatically successful fashion.

Read more on Salon