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

JPMorgan’s markets unit, a major QIS provider, manages over $100 billion in notional exposure, with QIS revenue up 30% this year from the same period in 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

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

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

The notional value of contracts due to expire is slightly lower than the record amount that rolled off in December.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 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

Bookkeeping turns everything into a notional cash value, even though you do not actually know if you will ever sell it or what you will get for it if you do.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton