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Webster 1913 Edition


Notion

No′tion

,
[L.
notio
, fr.
noscere
to know: cf. F.
notion
. See
Know
.]
1.
Mental apprehension of whatever may be known or imagined; an idea; a conception; more properly, a general or universal conception, as distinguishable or definable by marks or notae.
What hath been generally agreed on, I content myself to assume under the
notion
of principles.
Sir I. Newton.
Few agree in their
notions
about these words.
Cheyne.
That
notion
of hunger, cold, sound, color, thought, wish, or fear which is in the mind, is called the “idea” of hunger, cold, etc.
I. Watts.
Notion
, again, signifies either the act of apprehending, signalizing, that is, the remarking or taking note of, the various notes, marks, or characters of an object which its qualities afford, or the result of that act.
Sir W. Hamilton.
2.
A sentiment; an opinion.
The extravagant
notion
they entertain of themselves.
Addison.
A perverse will easily collects together a system of
notions
to justify itself in its obliquity.
J. H. Newman.
3.
Sense; mind.
[Obs.]
Shak.
4.
An invention; an ingenious device; a knickknack;
as, Yankee
notions
.
[Colloq.]
5.
Inclination; intention; disposition;
as, I have a
notion
to do it
.
[Colloq.]

Webster 1828 Edition


Notion

NO'TION

,
Noun.
[L. known; to know.]
1.
Conception; mental apprehension of whatever may be known or imagined. We may have a just notion of power, or false notions respecting spirit.
Notion and idea are primarily different; idea being the conception of something visible, as the idea of a square or a triangle; and notion the conception of things invisible or intellectual, as the notion we have of spirits. But from negligence in the use of idea, the two words are constantly confounded.
What hath been generally agreed on, I content myself to assume under the notion of principles.
Few agree in their notions about these words.
That notion of hunger, bold, sound, color, thought, wish or fear, which is in the mind, is called the idea of hunger, cold, &c.
2.
sentiment; opinion; as the extravagant notions they entertain of themselves.
3.
Sense; understanding; intellectual power. [Not used.]
4.
Inclination; in vulgar use; as, I have a notion to do this or that.

Definition 2024


notion

notion

English

Noun

notion (plural notions)

  1. Mental apprehension of whatever may be known, thought, or imagined; idea, concept.
    • Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
      What hath been generally agreed on, I content myself to assume under the notion of principles.
    • George Cheyne (1671-1743)
      Few agree in their notions about these words.
    • Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
      That notion of hunger, cold, sound, color, thought, wish, or fear which is in the mind, is called the "idea" of hunger, cold, etc.
    • Alexander Hamilton (ca.1756-1804)
      Notion, again, signifies either the act of apprehending, signalizing, that is, the remarking or taking note of, the various notes, marks, or characters of an object which its qualities afford, or the result of that act.
  2. A sentiment; an opinion.
    • Joseph Addison (1672-1719)
      The extravagant notion they entertain of themselves.
    • John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
      A perverse will easily collects together a system of notions to justify itself in its obliquity.
    • 1935, George Goodchild, chapter 1, in Death on the Centre Court:
      “Anthea hasn't a notion in her head but to vamp a lot of silly mugwumps. She's set her heart on that tennis bloke [] whom the papers are making such a fuss about.”
  3. (obsolete) Sense; mind.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
  4. (colloquial) An invention; an ingenious device; a knickknack.
    Yankee notions
  5. Any small article used in sewing and haberdashery, such as a button or zipper.
  6. (colloquial) Inclination; intention; disposition.
    I have a notion to do it.

Translations

See also

External links

  • notion in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • notion in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin nōtiō, nōtiōnem.

Pronunciation

Noun

notion f (plural notions)

  1. notion