I had no notion that you were coming.
Source: tatoeba (18043)
Notion
/ˈnəʊʃən/
Synonyms for "notion" (293 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (59)
Noun(27 words)
beliefimpressionwhimabstract adjectiveabstract ideaabstract onlyabstractionaccessibility conceptajaiaalgebra conceptanatomy conceptart conceptbiology conceptbiology conceptscall conceptcapricescelebrationscell ideacircuit conceptclassroom concept
Show 7 more words
Adjective(13 words)
abstract conceptabstract entityabstract nounabstract theoryabstract valueacademic conceptanatomical conceptbasic scientific conceptbiological conceptbiological phenomenoncivil procedure conceptcomputing conceptconceptual idea
apprehensionassumptionattitudeautomatic responsebare suggestionbeeblind impulseboutadebrain wavebrainstormcapricciocapriceclimate of opinioncluecommon beliefcommunity sentimentconceitconceptconception
Strong matches (88)
Noun(32 words)
conceptualizingconstructscosmology conceptcourse conceptcriminal-law conceptcultural constructdata conceptsecology conceptecology term concepteconomics concepteltaninenceliaentidade abstrataexistencesexperimental conceptfanciesfancyfeelingfeleciaglimmerings
conclusionconsensus gentiumconsiderationcrankcrazecrazy ideacrotchetcudgelcuedriveestimateestimationethosexpectationeyefadfancyfantastic notionfantasyfeeling
Show 25 more words
flashfleeting impulseflimflamfool notionfreakfreakish inspirationgeneral beliefgeneral ideagut responsehalf an ideaharebrained ideahazy ideahinthumorideaidealimageimagoimpressionimpulseinclinationindicationinklinginspirationinstinct
Adjective(11 words)
conventional ideacreative ideascultural concepteconomic concepteducational conceptelectrical conceptgeneral chemistry conceptgeneral conceptgeometric concepthorticultural conceptimmaterial concept
Related words (146)
Adjective(24 words)
intangible ideaitalian civile conceptslinguistic conceptlogical conceptmathematical conceptsnoncellular conceptnonpedagogical conceptnonphysical conceptnonphysical objectsphilosophical conceptphysical conceptpolitical history conceptpsychological conceptrandom ideasromanian conceptscientific conceptscientific conceptssocial conceptspecific conceptstatistical concept
Show 4 more words
theoretical ideaurban planning conceptwhole entity conceptwild idea
intellectionintellectual objectintimationinvoluntary impulsejudgmentkinkknickknacklightsmaggotmegrimmemory-tracemental imagemental impressionmental picturemere notionmindmystiquenatural impulseobservationopinion
Show 52 more words
passing fancyperceptionpersonal judgmentphilosophypictureplanpointpoint of viewpopular beliefpositionposturepresumptionprevailing beliefprinciplepublic beliefpublic opinionquick hunchquirkreactionreceptreflectionreflexrepresentationresolutionseedsentimentsightsneaking suspicionspiritstancesudden thoughtsuggestionsuppositionsurmisesuspiciontelltalethemetheorythesisthinkingthoughttoyurgevagaryvague ideaviewway of thinkingwhimwhim whamwhim-whamwhimsywind
Noun(46 words)
kentankinematics ideakulthummlearning conceptslegal conceptlife science conceptlinguistics conceptlorfanmachine learning conceptmath conceptmathematics conceptsmeteorology conceptmore conceptualmorrigunatural science conceptnentsineuroscience conceptnone chosenoccur toopinion
Show 26 more words
physical science conceptsphysics conceptphysics conceptsphysics concepts examplepolicy conceptpolitical conceptprealgebra conceptprogramming conceptsafaqisscience conceptscience ideaserkinsociology conceptsoil moisturesspitballstheoretical onlythoughtsunderstandingurgevitharrwhimseywhimseyswhimsywimseywokewriting concept
Determiner(3 words)
most linguistic conceptno ideasthe theory
Verb(1 words)
romanian imagine
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: belief, impression, whim, abstract adjective, abstract concept.
- Sentence evidence is available for notion, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "notion".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "notion"
Keep "notion" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "notion" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "notion", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "notion" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
9 entriesMore specific
9 entriesCollocations
6 entriescommon notiongeneral notionnotion of realitynotion of timepopular notionpreconceived notion
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesSample sentences
20 total sentences available.
In the same way as Hegel, Panovsky's notion of the dialectic makes history follow a predetermined course.
Source: tatoeba (34035)
Where did he ever come up with the notion of opening a branch?
Source: tatoeba (246275)
We had no notion of leaving our hometown.
Source: tatoeba (248644)
Showing 4 of 20 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "notion"?
Closest matches include belief, impression, whim, abstract adjective, abstract concept.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "notion"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.