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
Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
The current, nominal target for such a mission is 2027, but no reasonable observer believes that is possible.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
Though the nominal focus is Hind Rajab herself, Ben Hania’s film is a window on the world of Palestine’s Red Crescent volunteer service.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025
As California has grappled with the ghost student swarms, officials have debated instituting a nominal fee to add friction to the system of applying.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nominal
Noun
Even though the nominal growth showed signs of slowing down, the low inflation level made the growth rate look stronger, economists said.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
The current, nominal target for such a mission is 2027, but no reasonable observer believes that is possible.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
Though the nominal focus is Hind Rajab herself, Ben Hania’s film is a window on the world of Palestine’s Red Crescent volunteer service.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025
As California has grappled with the ghost student swarms, officials have debated instituting a nominal fee to add friction to the system of applying.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nominal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nominal
Adjective
-
Now in theaters nationwide, the third film in the franchise ends with an emotional gut punch as the ghosts — in some cases literally — of the titular estate came together for one last dance.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Most recently, Padalecki played the titular character Cordell Walker in The CW's Walker, which aired its series finale in June 2024.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
People.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The night’s slight chill is perfect for a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon by an indoor fireplace or outdoor firepit.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Julie McNamara is back developing series for CBS Studios — with one slight difference.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Sep. 2025
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
-
However, according to the researchers, in reality, viscosity plays a negligible role in the sun’s interior.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The Colts were a negligible 1 1/2-point home favorite.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
When the tiny home arrives, a semi-permanent setup is as easy as leveling the surface, hooking up utilities, and anchoring the home, if desired, which can be accomplished with the help of the builder’s team.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
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Every day is a new chance to accurately fix the coördinates of my appearance in clothes, to make tiny adjustments, as if focussing a lens.—
Rachel Kushner,
New Yorker,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The newspaper reported at the time that Zinn has a criminal record dating back to 1989 that includes dozens of convictions for petty crimes such as criminal trespass, theft of services, interfering with a police officer and disturbing the peace.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The petty back-and-forth continued throughout the interview and escalated to the point that Dash threatened to get physical with CTG.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nominal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nominal. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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