notionaryadj.
/ˈnəʊʃn̩əri/, /ˈnəʊʃn̩ri/, U.S. /ˈnoʊʃəˌnɛri/ Now rare.
= notional adj. (in various senses).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > faculty of imagination > mental image, idea, or fancy > [adjective] > only in imagination or unreal
imaginary?1510
imaginative1517
rational1530
fantastical1531
fantasied1561
airy1565
fancied1568
legendary1570
dreamed1597
fabled1606
ideal1611
fictive1612
affectual1614
insubstantiala1616
imaginatorya1618
supposititious1620
fictitious1621
utopian1624
utopic1624
notional1629
affective1633
fictiousa1644
notionary1646
figmental1655
suppositious1655
fict1677
visionary1725
metaphysical1728
unrealized1767
fancy1801
nice-spun1801
subjective1815
aerial1829
transcendental1835
cardboardy1863
mythical1870
cardboard1879
fictionary1882
figmentary1887
alternative1939
alternate1944
fantasized1964
ideate1966
fanciful-
fantastic-
1646 E. Fisher Marrow Mod. Divin. (ed. 2) 172 If our friend do content himself with a meere Gospell knowledge, in a notionary way.
1675 J. Ogilby Britannia Pref. 1 The Tracing of Notionary Roads upon imperfect Charts.
1700 N. Rowe Ambitious Step-mother iii. ii He'll be convinc'd that only Fools would lose A Crown for notionary Principles.
1822 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. 12 491 It is but a notionary cause, a mere opinion.
1882 Cent. Mag. Apr. 891/1 I'm a lettle [sic] notionary about these things.
1990 Financial Post (Canada) (Nexis) 19 Oct. ii. 17 While this notionary line is still not sloping very steeply upward, the angle of its slope could rise as stock prices get cheaper.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1646