different between changeable vs notional

English

Etymology

From Old French changeable

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t??e?nd???b?l/

Adjective

changeable (comparative more changeable, superlative most changeable)

1. Capable of being changed.
2. Subject to sudden or frequent changes.

3. (of a species) Capable of camouflaging itself by changing colour.

Synonyms

• (capable of being changed): alterable, modifiable, variable; see also Thesaurus:mutable
• (subject to sudden or frequent changes): fickle, labile, variable; see also Thesaurus:changeable
• (capable of camouflaging): chameleonic

Derived terms

Translations

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???.?abl/

Adjective

changeable (plural changeables)

1. changeable (capable of being changed)

Related terms

• see changer

Further reading

• “changeable” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

notion +? -al

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?n????n?l/
• Rhymes: -????n?l

Adjective

notional (comparative more notional, superlative most notional)

1. Of, containing, or being a notion; mental or imaginary.
2. Speculative, theoretical, not the result of research.

   This paper proposes a notional Federated Identity Management (FIM) architecture.

3. (linguistics) Having descriptive value as opposed to a syntactic category.
4. (finance) Used to indicate an estimate or a reference amount
5. (informal) Full of ideas or imaginings.
   • 1995, Walter D. Edmonds, In the Hands of the Senecas (page 137)

     She knew what Pete would say if she told him about it — he would say she was getting notional; and she did not want Pete to think of her as a notional woman. Notional women sometimes had a hard time marrying unless they had money.

Derived terms

• notionality
• notionally

Translations

Noun

notional (plural notionals)

1. A fake company used as a front in espionage.
   • 2012, Joseph C. Goulden, Peter Earnest, The Dictionary of Espionage: Spyspeak Into English (page 157)

     Numerous CIA notionals, created to counter Communist organizations in Western Europe during the Cold War years, remain active and unrevealed.