1
Core quality
Existing in name or official title only rather than in reality; also, very small or token in amount.
Example
The chair remained the nominal leader, but others made every decision.
nominal
/ˈnɒmɪnəl/ · NOM-ih-nuladjective
Existing in name or official title only rather than in reality; also, very small or token in amount.
Use nominal to express this relationship precisely: existing in name or official title only rather than in reality; also, very small or token in amount.
What nominal Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
Admission is free apart from a nominal processing fee.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
The territory was under nominal control of the central government.
Use nominal Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The chair remained the nominal leader, but others made every decision.
Admission is free apart from a nominal processing fee.
The territory was under nominal control of the central government.
Precision Matters
Nominal overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
nominal
vs.Means existing in name or official title only rather than in reality; also, very small or token in amount.
modest
Means limited or moderate in size, amount, ambition, or importance; also, not boastful about oneself.
nominal
vs.Means existing in name or official title only rather than in reality; also, very small or token in amount.
veritable
Means genuine or worthy of being described as such, often used to intensify a figurative description.
nominal
vs.Means existing in name or official title only rather than in reality; also, very small or token in amount.
consequential
Means important or significant, especially because of the effects or consequences that follow.
nominal
vs.Means existing in name or official title only rather than in reality; also, very small or token in amount.
ostensible
Means stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily genuine or actual.
Test nominal in Context
The authority existed in title but not in practical reality.
1
Although officially in charge, the director exercised only ___ authority; all major decisions were made elsewhere.