notion
[ noh-shuhn ]
/ ˈnoʊ ʃən /
noun
a general understanding; vague or imperfect conception or idea of something: a notion of how something should be done.
an opinion, view, or belief: That's his notion, not mine.
conception or idea: his notion of democracy.
a fanciful or foolish idea; whim: She had a notion to swim in the winter.
an ingenious article, device, or contrivance; knickknack.
notions,
small articles, as buttons, thread, ribbon, and other personal items, especially such items displayed together for sale, as in a department store.
Origin of notion
synonym study for notion
1, 3. See
idea.
historical usage of notion
The English noun
notion “general understanding, opinion” comes from Latin
nōtiō (stem
nōtiōn- ), a derivative of the verb
nōscere “to know” and
-tiō, an abstract noun suffix here denoting a state (rather than an action).
In the comedies of Plautus, nōtiō meant “acquaintance (with a person).” In legal and juridical language, nōtiō meant “examination, inquiry (by a magistrate).” The usual meaning of notion we owe to Cicero, the Roman orator, statesman, and man of letters, who created a technical philosophical vocabulary for Latin almost single-handedly in order to translate concepts in Greek philosophy. In his Topica (31), Cicero explains his usage of nōtiō : “I mean by notion what the Greeks call énnoia [‘thinking, reflection, notion, concept’] or prólēpsis [‘preconception, mental picture’].”
The plural notions “small articles, such as buttons, thread, ribbon, etc., displayed together for sale” was an Americanism that first appeared in a Philadelphia newspaper in 1796.
In the comedies of Plautus, nōtiō meant “acquaintance (with a person).” In legal and juridical language, nōtiō meant “examination, inquiry (by a magistrate).” The usual meaning of notion we owe to Cicero, the Roman orator, statesman, and man of letters, who created a technical philosophical vocabulary for Latin almost single-handedly in order to translate concepts in Greek philosophy. In his Topica (31), Cicero explains his usage of nōtiō : “I mean by notion what the Greeks call énnoia [‘thinking, reflection, notion, concept’] or prólēpsis [‘preconception, mental picture’].”
The plural notions “small articles, such as buttons, thread, ribbon, etc., displayed together for sale” was an Americanism that first appeared in a Philadelphia newspaper in 1796.
OTHER WORDS FROM notion
no·tion·less, adjectiveWords nearby notion
noticeable,
notifiable,
notifiable disease,
notification,
notify,
notion,
notional,
notionate,
notions,
notitia,
noto-
Example sentences from the Web for notions
British Dictionary definitions for notions (1 of 2)
notions
/ (ˈnəʊʃənz) /
pl n
mainly US and Canadian
pins, cotton, ribbon, and similar wares used for sewing; haberdashery
British Dictionary definitions for notions (2 of 2)
notion
/ (ˈnəʊʃən) /
noun
a vague idea; impression
an idea, concept, or opinion
an inclination or whim
See also
notions
Word Origin for notion
C16: from Latin
nōtiō a becoming acquainted (with), examination (of), from
noscere to know