nominally

[nom-uh-nl-ee]

adverb

1. by or as regards name; in name; ostensibly.

   He was nominally the leader, but others actually ran the organization.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nominally¹

First recorded in 1655–65; nominal + -ly

Example Sentences

Harriet Dyer plays Colette, sweet and awkward and nominally the ensemble’s main character.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Four of America’s nominally closest allies — Britain, Australia, France and Canada — disgraced themselves this week by recognizing a so-called Palestinian state.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But he also took the unusual step of criticizing a ruling of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, to which he nominally reports, for its dangerous acquiescence in the president’s authoritarian agenda.

Read more on Salon

The move is nominally intended to target individuals who lied about prior crimes or criminal affiliations during the citizenship application process.

Read more on Salon

How a case nominally about getting homeless people inside escalated into an assault on the city’s fundamental powers is an 18-month saga of wrangling over the settlement terms.

Read more on Los Angeles Times