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notional - 3 dictionary results

no⋅tion⋅al

  [noh-shuh-nl]
Use notional in a Sentence
–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.
a. relating to the meaning expressed by a linguistic form.
b. 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. Compare relational (def. 3), symbolic (def. 4).
Origin:
1590–1600; notion + -al 1

Related forms:
no⋅tion⋅al⋅i⋅ty, noun
no⋅tion⋅al⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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no·tion·al   (nō'shə-nəl)   
adj.  
  1. Of, containing, or being a notion; mental or imaginary.
  2. Speculative or theoretical.
  3. Linguistics Conveying an idea of a thing or of an action; having full lexical meaning as distinguished from relational meaning. The word did is notional in We did the work and relational in We did not agree.
no'tion·al·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Notional

No"tion*al\, a. 1. Consisting of, or conveying, notions or ideas; expressing abstract conceptions.

2. Existing in idea only; visionary; whimsical.

Discourses of speculative and notional things. --Evelyn.

3. Given to foolish or visionary expectations; whimsical; fanciful; as, a notional man.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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