[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/notional.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / notional

[← N](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/N/)

# notional

«notional» in Mova's school dictionary: **Existing only as an idea or estimate, not real or exact…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

adjective (notional)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Existing only as an idea or estimate, not real or exact, as in "a notional sum". [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notional/#m1)

2) (formal) Based on theory, not on facts or practice. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notional/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

Used in money, maths and economics (a notional value, a number used to compare or plan, not a real amount paid) and in formal writing. In everyday life it is a rarer word.

### examples

- Each player gets a notional £100 in the game to spend. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notional/#x1)
- The price is only notional; nobody has really paid it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notional/#x2)
- The rent was a notional one pound a year. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notional/#x3)
- The map uses a notional line to divide the zones. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notional/#x4)
- We worked out a notional budget for our class party. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notional/#x5)
- The equator is a notional line round the Earth. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notional/#x6)

### note

Formal. From "notion" (an idea). In maths problems, a notional amount is an imagined amount used for working out; treat it as the given number.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «notional» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/notional/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.