First Known Use: 1537
Dictionary
notion
noun no·tion \ˈnō-shən\
: an idea or opinion
: an idea about doing something : a sudden wish or desire
notions : small useful things (such as pins, thread, buttons) that are used for sewing
Full Definition of NOTION
1
a (1) : an individual's conception or impression of something known, experienced, or imagined (2) : an inclusive general concept (3) : a theory or belief held by a person or group b : a personal inclination : whim
3
plural : small useful items : sundries
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Origin of NOTION
Latin notion-, notio, from noscere
Related to NOTION
- Synonyms
- etceteras, novelties, odds and ends, sundries
Synonym Discussion of NOTION
idea, concept, conception, thought, notion, impression mean what exists in the mind as a representation (as of something comprehended) or as a formulation (as of a plan). idea may apply to a mental image or formulation of something seen or known or imagined, to a pure abstraction, or to something assumed or vaguely sensed <innovative ideas> <my idea of paradise>. concept may apply to the idea formed by consideration of instances of a species or genus or, more broadly, to any idea of what a thing ought to be <a society with no concept of private property>. conception is often interchangeable with concept ; it may stress the process of imagining or formulating rather than the result <our changing conception of what constitutes art>. thought is likely to suggest the result of reflecting, reasoning, or meditating rather than of imagining <commit your thoughts to paper>. notion suggests an idea not much resolved by analysis or reflection and may suggest the capricious or accidental <you have the oddest notions>. impression applies to an idea or notion resulting immediately from some stimulation of the senses <the first impression is of soaring height>.
NOTIONS Defined for Kids
notion
noun no·tion \ˈnō-shən\
Definition of NOTION for Kids
1
: idea 2 <I haven't the faintest notion what to do.>
2
: whim <We had a sudden notion to go swimming.>
3
notions plural : small useful articles (as buttons, needles, and thread)
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