notional
[noh-shuh-nl]
- pertaining to or expressing a notion or idea.
- of the nature of a notion or idea: a notional response to the question.
- abstract, theoretical, or speculative, as reflective thought.
- not real or actual; ideal or imaginary: to create a notional world for oneself.
- given to or full of foolish or fanciful ideas or moods.
- Grammar.
- relating to the meaning expressed by a linguistic form.
- having full lexical meaning, in contrast to relational.
- Semantics. belonging to a class of words that express clear concepts rather than relations between concepts; presentive.Compare relational(def 3), symbolic(def 4).
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Origin of notional
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for notionally
Contemporary Examples
Notionally, the speech was merely to announce how many U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan over the next 18 months.
Historical Examples
And though God be loved as one that is notionally conceived to be best, and most to be loved, yet he is not loved best or most.
A Christian Directory (Volume 1 of 4)Richard Baxter
notional
- relating to, expressing, or consisting of notions or ideas
- not evident in reality; hypothetical or imaginarya notional tax credit
- characteristic of a notion or concept, esp in being speculative or imaginary; abstract
- grammar
- (of a word) having lexical meaning
- another word for semantic
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for notionally
notional
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper