Entry Word: nominal

Function: adjective

Meaning: 1 being something in name or form only <he was the nominal head of state—everyone knew the country was actually run by one of his advisers>

Synonyms formal, paper, titular

Related Words so-called; phantom, virtual

Near Antonyms actual, real, true

2 so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention <when you pay $400 for an airline ticket, a ticketing fee of five dollars seems nominal> — see negligible 1