1
as in titular
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 & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slight
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in substantive
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nominal
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Most of these fees are either decreasing or have nominal fee increases.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
Indeed, all of these elements are undoubtedly better known than the movie's nominal villains.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 25 May 2026
Dekonstructing the Kardashians, somewhat like Naomi Klein’s 2023 masterpiece, Doppelganger, is both about its nominal subject (Klein’s being, most directly, the writer Naomi Wolf) and not really about it at all.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nominal
Adjective
And though residents have paid more taxes in nominal dollar amounts, the tax burden itself has failed to keep up.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Most of these fees are either decreasing or have nominal fee increases.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
Indeed, all of these elements are undoubtedly better known than the movie's nominal villains.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 25 May 2026
Dekonstructing the Kardashians, somewhat like Naomi Klein’s 2023 masterpiece, Doppelganger, is both about its nominal subject (Klein’s being, most directly, the writer Naomi Wolf) and not really about it at all.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nominal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nominal
Adjective
-
Berry took on the titular role in the 2004 film shortly after becoming the first Black woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress for Monster's Ball at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002.—
Kelsie Gibson,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
-
The series was an anthology hosted by the titular Frankelda, the ghost of an aspiring horror writer, who told stories about children encountering the paranormal.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The finish is short, with lingering notes of citrus, pepper, and a slight mineral edge.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
That slight tweak—far from the grandiose promise of political revolution—might find power in the voters’ verdict.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
First Acts: From the symbolic to the substantive, here is a look at what nine new governors elected last year have done in their first weeks in office.—
Maggie Astor,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2023
-
With his substantive, agreeably granular bass, David Grogan gave prophetic warnings real authority.—
Dallas News,
Dallas News,
23 Dec. 2022
Adjective
-
Hemp is a variety of cannabis with a negligible level of the psychoactive compound THC.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2026
-
For most applications, those imperfections are negligible.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Keep scrolling for tiny travel essentials that'll fit right in your personal item.—
Aly Walansky,
Travel + Leisure,
29 May 2026
-
These migratory aerial acrobats need a lot of energy to beat their tiny wings so fast.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
When a conversation ends without a real answer, when a situation is explained away rather than actually explained, the discomfort is not neurotic or petty.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
Mary disrupts Clark’s equilibrium with the Backrooms by refusing to validate his excuses for his behavior, fully calling out his failings, his petty assholery, and his glib, solipsistic lies.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nominal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nominal. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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