nominal

adjective

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nom·i·nal | \ ˈnä-mə-nᵊl

, ˈnäm-nəl \

Definition of nominal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of, relating to, or being a noun or a word or expression taking a noun construction

2a : of, relating to, or constituting a name

b : bearing the name of a person

3a : existing or being something in name or form only nominal head of his party

b : of, being, or relating to a designated or theoretical size that may vary from the actual : approximate the pipe's nominal size

c : trifling, insignificant his involvement was nominal charged only nominal rent

4 of a rate of interest

a : equal to the annual rate of simple interest that would obtain if interest were not compounded when in fact it is compounded and paid for periods of less than a year

b : equal to the percentage by which a repaid loan exceeds the principal borrowed with no adjustment made for inflation

5 : being according to plan : satisfactory everything was nominal during the launch

nominal

noun

Definition of nominal (Entry 2 of 2)

: a word or word group functioning as a noun

Other Words from nominal Synonyms Did you know? More Example Sentences Phrases Containing nominal Learn More About nominal

Did you know?

Something nominal exists only in name. So the nominal ruler in a constitutional monarchy is the king or queen, but the real power is in the hands of the elected prime minister. In the United Kingdom, the British monarch is also the nominal head of the Church of England; and those baptized in the Church who aren't really churchgoers might be called nominal Christians. A fee can be called nominal when it's small in comparison to the value of what it buys. So, for example, you might sell a friend a good piece of furniture for a nominal amount. And the charge for a doctor's visit might be a nominal $20, since most of the cost is covered by an insurance plan.

Examples of nominal in a Sentence

Adjective What gave it resonance was that she was reflecting—in a fun-house mirror—the thuggish behavior of her nominal betters. — Hendrik Hertzberg, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2005 Instead they will decentralize and devolve power, and rely on the people over whom they have nominal authority to be self-organizing. — Francis Fukuyama, Atlantic, May 1999 Approaching his 68th birthday, Rockefeller had never imagined that his twilight years would be so eventful. His fortune had failed to purchase him even a poor man's mite of tranquillity. As nominal president of Standard Oil, he was in a bind, responsible for actions he had not approved. — Ron Chernow, Business Week, 18 May 1998 Each of the ten years of nominal peace saw plenty of bloodshed. — Theodore Roosevelt, The Winning of the West: 1769-1776, (1894) 1995 Her title of vice president had been nominal only. They charge a nominal fee for the service. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Hughes agreed not to seek additional attorney fees or nominal damages. — Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 17 Oct. 2022 Stubborn inflation is raising prices across the board, boosting the nominal amounts that households must spend even if their consumption is steady. — Matt Grossman, WSJ, 14 Oct. 2022 Some activities, such as pony rides, have a nominal charge. — Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2022 That house might fetch less today, but higher borrowing costs would more than erase any nominal savings. — Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Oct. 2022 If nominal sales, or sales in dollar amounts, are adjusted for inflation, some analysts say retail sales could decline from last year. — Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2022 While applying for a single loan or line of credit may have a nominal impact on your credit score, applying for multiple credit accounts or loans is a different story. — Melanie Lockert, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2022 At the beginning of 1918, the Bolsheviks, who soon began calling themselves Communists, were the nominal rulers of a bankrupt realm, its military drained by desertions and its economy in shambles. — Adam Hochschild, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2022 Last month, the group signaled concerns about the markets with a nominal cut of 100,000 barrels a day. — Stanley Reed, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Oct. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun And 73 others paid less than half of the US nominal 21% corporate tax rate. — Reuven Avi-yonah For Cnn Business Perspectives, CNN, 24 Nov. 2021 Yield differentials between nominal and inflation-protected securities, for example, suggest CPI inflation will spend the next five years hovering mostly around 2.8% but then gradually fall to roughly 2% about a decade from now. — Sam Goldfarb, WSJ, 22 Oct. 2021 However, if the Heat were to add a player such as Kyle with cap space, then a return by Oladipo likely would come down to a willingness to take a nominal, if not minimum, salary for the coming season. — Ira Winderman, sun-sentinel.com, 30 July 2021 By forcing Republicans to square their new feint toward populism with their continuing loyalty to corporate interests, progressives can exploit a wedge that will help Democrats expand their appeal to nominal (and former) Republicans. — Rahm Emanuel, WSJ, 16 May 2021 Investors’ expectations for inflation—as defined by the consumer-price index—over the next 10 years can be gleaned from the difference between nominal and inflation-protected U.S. Treasury yields. — Peter Santilli, WSJ, 26 Apr. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nominal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

20 Oct 2022

Cite this Entry

“Nominal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nominal. Accessed 31 Oct. 2022.

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More Definitions for nominal

nominal

adjective

nom·i·nal | \ ˈnäm-ən-ᵊl, ˈnäm-nəl \

Kids Definition of nominal

1 : being such in name or form only the nominal head of the party

2 : very small : trifling a nominal price

nominal

adjective

nom·i·nal | \ ˈnä-mən-ᵊl

Legal Definition of nominal

1 : existing or being something in name or form but usually not in reality defenses…raised by the corporation as nominal defendant in a derivative suit— R. C. Clark

2 : being so small or trivial as to be a mere token charging a nominal fee

3 of a rate of interest

a : equal to the annual rate of simple interest that would obtain if interest were not compounded when in fact it is compounded and paid for periods of less than a year

b : equal to the percentage by which a repaid loan exceeds the principal borrowed with no adjustment made for inflation — compare effective sense 4