notional

Everyday

1. Existing only as an idea or estimate, not real or exact, as in "a notional sum". tree →
2. (formal) Based on theory, not on facts or practice. tree →

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 →
• The price is only notional; nobody has really paid it. tree →
• The rent was a notional one pound a year. tree →
• The map uses a notional line to divide the zones. tree →
• We worked out a notional budget for our class party. tree →
• The equator is a notional line round the Earth. tree →

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.