Word
nominal
Phoneticsnom·i·nal, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈnɑmənəɫ/
UK/nˈɒmɪnəl/
Definitions
01in name only
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. describing someone who has a title or position but no real power or duties.
adj. existing in name only; used to describe a person or entity that holds a formal title without exercising the associated authority.
“He is the nominal head of the company, but his daughter makes all the big decisions.”
“Although she remained the nominal chairperson of the committee, her influence had waned significantly following the recent restructuring.”
Usage
Usually placed before the noun.
Synonyms
02very small amount
B2 · Upper Intermediate Formal
adj. describing a price or amount of money that is very small and much less than the real value.
adj. referring to a sum of money or a fee that is insignificantly small or far below the market value.
“The museum charges a nominal fee of one dollar just to keep track of visitor numbers.”
“The property was leased to the charity for a nominal sum, reflecting the council's desire to support local community initiatives.”
Usage
Commonly used with 'fee', 'charge', or 'sum'.
Antonyms
03unadjusted for inflation
C1 · Advanced Economics Technical
adj. relating to the face value of money or interest rates, without considering how much things actually cost.
adj. relating to the value of a sum of money or a rate of interest that has not been adjusted for inflation or compounding.
“While nominal wages rose by three percent, the high cost of living meant people were actually poorer.”
“Economists argued that focusing on nominal interest rates was misleading given the unprecedented spike in annual inflation.”
Usage
Often contrasted with 'real' values in economic analysis.
Synonyms
Antonyms
04functioning as planned
C2 · Proficiency Engineering Technical
adj. working correctly and according to the original design or plan.
adj. functioning within expected or designed limits; used frequently in aerospace and engineering contexts.
“The engineers confirmed that all systems were nominal after the satellite reached orbit.”
“Despite the initial pressure drop, the flight director reported that all propulsion parameters had returned to nominal levels.”
05relating to nouns
C1 · Advanced Technical
adj. relating to a noun or a group of words that acts like a noun.
adj. of or relating to a noun or a word group that functions as a noun phrase.
“In the phrase 'the rich', the word 'rich' has a nominal function.”
“The researcher analysed the frequency of nominal clauses in academic prose compared to informal spoken registers.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
06a noun-like word
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Technical
n. a word or group of words that functions as a noun in a sentence.
n. a word or phrase that functions as a noun; in some languages, a category including both nouns and adjectives.
“The teacher explained how a nominal can be the subject of a verb.”
“The morphosyntactic properties of nominals in this dialect differ significantly from those found in the standard language.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“The midfielder is out of favour at West Ham , who signed him from Southampton in 2023, and is poised to return to St Mary’s for a nominal fee.” “A recent paper by Takshashila Instituition finds that 11 of India's 18 international cables are more than 20 years old, approaching the nominal 25-year operating life of submarine cable systems.” Etymology
PIE word *h₁nómn̥ From the Middle English nominalle (“of nouns”), borrowed from Latin nōminālis (“of names”), from nōmen (“name”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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