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nominal

[nom-uh-nl]
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adjective
  1. being such in name only; so-called; putative: a nominal treaty; the nominal head of the country.
  2. (of a price, consideration, etc.) named as a mere matter of form, being trifling in comparison with the actual value; minimal.
  3. of, relating to, or constituting a name or names.
  4. Grammar.
    1. of, relating to, or producing a noun or nouns: a nominal suffix.
    2. functioning as or like a noun.
  5. assigned to a person by name: nominal shares of stock.
  6. containing, bearing, or giving a name or names.
  7. (of money, income, or the like) measured in an amount rather than in real value: Nominal wages have risen 50 percent, but real wages are down because of inflation.
  8. Aerospace. performing or achieved within expected, acceptable limits; normal and satisfactory: The mission was nominal throughout.
  9. Slang. done smoothly as expected: The space shot was nominal, proceeding without a hitch.
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noun
  1. Grammar. a word or group of words functioning as a noun.
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Origin of nominal

1425–75; late Middle English nominalle of a noun < Latin nōminālis of, belonging to a name, nominal, equivalent to nōmin- (stem of nōmen; see nomen) + -ālis -al1
Related formspre·nom·i·nal, adjectiveun·nom·i·nal, adjectiveun·nom·i·nal·ly, adverb

Synonyms

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1. titular, formal.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

ostensible, titular, token, symbolic, minimal, simple, given, puppet, formal, small, low, trifling, alleged, apparent, honorary, mentioned, named, pretended, professed, seeming

Examples from the Web for nominal

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • His imprisonment was intended to be little more than nominal.

    Bunyan

    James Anthony Froude

  • Such was the character of the nominal peace which now existed.

  • The land was let at a nominal rent, as being almost valueless.

    The O'Donoghue

    Charles James Lever

  • These can be procured through any local dealer at a nominal sum.

    Boy Scouts Handbook

    Boy Scouts of America

  • “Of course they can, if they must,” returned their nominal mistress.

    Clare Avery

    Emily Sarah Holt

British Dictionary definitions for nominal

nominal

adjective
  1. in name only; theoreticalthe nominal leader
  2. minimal in comparison with real worth or what is expected; tokena nominal fee
  3. of, relating to, constituting, bearing, or giving a name
  4. grammar of or relating to a noun or noun phrase
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noun
  1. grammar a nominal element; a noun, noun phrase, or syntactically similar structure
  2. bell-ringing the harmonic an octave above the strike tone of a bell
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Derived Formsnominally, adverb

Word Origin

C15: from Latin nōminālis of a name, from nōmen name
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for nominal

adj.

early 15c., "pertaining to nouns," from Latin nominalis "pertaining to a name or names," from nomen (genitive nominis) "name," cognate with Old English nama (see name (n.)). Meaning "of the nature of names" (in distinction to things) is from 1610s. Meaning "being so in name only" first recorded 1620s.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper