Word of the Day: Notional

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Today's Word Brought to You By

adjective

1. Existing only in theory or as a suggestion or idea.

2. Existing only in the imagination.

"Elves, gnomes, and fairies are all notional creatures, but many people are fascinated by them nonetheless."

"The paper introduces some notional concepts, but she needs more testing to support the theories."

"The locals insisted the legend of the yeti was merely notional, so we shouldn't be afraid to camp in the forest."

Today's Word Brought to You By

Rare Unlimited Cash-Back Match Turns Heads

If you have outstanding credit card debt, getting a new 0% intro APR credit card could help ease the pressure while you pay down your balances. Plus, this top credit card offers an incredible 5% cash-back perk that gets matched after your first year. That's up to 10% back on qualifying purchases. Click through to see what all the hype is about.

Learn More

Late Middle English, late 16th century

It's common to use the word "notion" to refer to an idea or concept, such as "the notion of dinosaurs being ancestors of birds," or to refer to a fanciful whim, as in, "I had a notion to call off work and take you out for lunch today." "Notion" came into English from French, but it originated from the medieval Latin "notus," meaning "known." ...