nominative
adjective
nom·i·na·tive
ˈnä-mə-nə-tiv 
ˈnäm-nə-;
senses 2 & 3 are also
ˈnä-mə-ˌnā-
1
a
: of, relating to, or being a grammatical case (see case entry 1 sense 3a) that typically marks the subject of a verb especially in languages that have relatively full inflection
nominative case
b
: of or relating to the nominative case
a nominative ending
2
: nominated or appointed by nomination
3
: bearing a person's name
nominative
noun
Examples of nominative in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For one thing, there’s the name, the best example of nominative determinism in the annals of English literature.
—
Bryan Walsh, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
During the race’s opening laps, NBC fixed its camera on Brady and discussed the nominative determinism at play.
—Adam Kilgore, Washington Post, 28 June 2024
The term nominative determinism describes how certain people seem compelled towards a particular profession because of the influence of their surname.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2013
Competing as an individual after earning a nominative berth through the World Cup circuit, Carey earned a spot in the vault and floor exercise finals and only missed out on the all-around due to the rules that limit finals to two athletes per country.
—Time, 25 July 2021
Playwright Tina Satter’s enormously compelling film-directing debut adds another layer of cosmic irony to that nominative determinism.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 18 Feb. 2023
Obviously, science does not have a monopoly on nominative determinism.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2013
Those were nominative, meaning they could only be used by the gymnast who secured them, so if Carey made the four-person team, the Americans could not have replaced her.
—Rachel Axon, USA TODAY, 16 June 2021
Jade Carey of Arizona also has an Olympic berth locked up after earning a nominative spot based on her World Cup performances.
—Will Graves, baltimoresun.com, 27 June 2021
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Bryan Walsh, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
During the race’s opening laps, NBC fixed its camera on Brady and discussed the nominative determinism at play.
—Adam Kilgore, Washington Post, 28 June 2024
The term nominative determinism describes how certain people seem compelled towards a particular profession because of the influence of their surname.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2013
Competing as an individual after earning a nominative berth through the World Cup circuit, Carey earned a spot in the vault and floor exercise finals and only missed out on the all-around due to the rules that limit finals to two athletes per country.
—Time, 25 July 2021
Playwright Tina Satter’s enormously compelling film-directing debut adds another layer of cosmic irony to that nominative determinism.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 18 Feb. 2023
Obviously, science does not have a monopoly on nominative determinism.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2013
Those were nominative, meaning they could only be used by the gymnast who secured them, so if Carey made the four-person team, the Americans could not have replaced her.
—Rachel Axon, USA TODAY, 16 June 2021
Jade Carey of Arizona also has an Olympic berth locked up after earning a nominative spot based on her World Cup performances.
—Will Graves, baltimoresun.com, 27 June 2021
Cite this Entry
“Nominative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nominative. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nominative
adjective
nom·i·na·tive
ˈnäm-(ə-)nət-iv
: being or belonging to the case of a noun or pronoun that is usually the subject of a verb
nominative
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share