Word
nominally
Phoneticsnom·i·nal·ly
US/ˈnɑmənəɫi/
UK/nˈɒmɪnəli/
Definition
adv. describes something that exists in name only, but is not true in reality. You use it when a title or a rule is official, but it doesn't actually change how things work.
adv. in name or form only, rather than in fact or reality. Often used to describe a status or role that lacks the actual power or function usually associated with it.
Examples
“He is nominally the leader, but his assistant makes all the decisions.”
“The country is nominally a democracy, though in practice a single party has held absolute power for decades.”
“While the company is nominally headquartered in a small offshore jurisdiction for tax purposes, its entire operational infrastructure and executive team remain in London.”
Examples
simple
“He is nominally the leader, but his assistant makes all the decisions.”
contextual
“The country is nominally a democracy, though in practice a single party has held absolute power for decades.”
complex
“While the company is nominally headquartered in a small offshore jurisdiction for tax purposes, its entire operational infrastructure and executive team remain in London.”
Usage
Typically modifies adjectives or verbs to indicate a discrepancy between official status and practical reality.
Real-World Examples
“Nominally a central midfielder, Yirenkyi can feature as a No 6, a No 8 or even at right-back, and his range of talents suggests he could be a good fit for the Premier League.” “Even where working-class voters nominally agree with a Democratic policy goal, they don’t trust the institution asked to deliver it – a distrust decades in the making.” Etymology
From nominal + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/nominally