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
Karl Montevirgen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Apr. 2026
There is a nominal charge of $10 per person.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Benefits include a retirement pension, free community college, college credits, property tax exemptions and soon, fire officials hope, nominal compensation.
—April 13, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Based on the two Argentines’ limited head-to-head history on the Challengers circuit — all three meetings had been won by Burrachaga in three sets — the son of one of his country’s most famous soccer players was the nominal favorite.
—Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nominal
Adjective
The highest nominal price occurred in 2008, though earlier spikes come close when adjusted for inflation.
—Karl Montevirgen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Apr. 2026
There is a nominal charge of $10 per person.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Benefits include a retirement pension, free community college, college credits, property tax exemptions and soon, fire officials hope, nominal compensation.
—April 13, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Based on the two Argentines’ limited head-to-head history on the Challengers circuit — all three meetings had been won by Burrachaga in three sets — the son of one of his country’s most famous soccer players was the nominal favorite.
—Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nominal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nominal
Adjective
-
The titular vampire gang has formed a band, and when its members start to shred, the stage sinks down to create a mosh pit—a hellish underworld into which victims later drop.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The game features a groundbreaking combat system that’s less hack-and-slash, more ultraviolent chess as Jin Sakai fights for the titular island.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Saturday will be mostly dry but there is a slight chance for showers.—
Rachael Jay,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
-
In 2022, his rookie season ended early because of a slight stress fracture in his right ankle.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
1 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
-
For the most part, any additional cost will be negligible, but the benefits to future generations are great.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
That produces negligible amounts of heat and pressure overall, and so the internal core continues to contract.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
What last Friday’s 5-0 win away to Sunderland might have done for Pereira is give him just a tiny bit more freedom; the opportunity to go slightly stronger with his team selections in these two games against Villa, either side of a still-vital trip to Chelsea on Monday.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The technique used to measure the singularities’ velocity could open the door to studying other tiny, fast phenomena in physics, chemistry and biology—or perhaps to find new ways to encode quantum information in materials, according to the researchers.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Middle school is, famously, a time of petty cruelty and small-scale social Darwinism.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Detractors consider this format both mind-numbing and salacious, engineered for immediate gratification and often focused on cast members’ petty personal grievances and rock-bottom moments.—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nominal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nominal. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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