as in slightly
in a very small quantity or degree
although the more expensive TV set is nominally better than the other, it's not worth the big difference in price
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Recent Examples of nominally
Though there is nominally an estate tax today, Congress has not enacted a single provision to close loopholes in 35 years.
—
Ray Madoff, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2025
Under this system, the brokerages nominally own the stock, but all the rights that attach to it—dividends, voting privileges, and so on—remain with the customers.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2025
And a growing share is coming from nominally private companies like Huawei, maker of smartphones, telecom equipment, and AI software, and CATL, the battery giant.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 20 Nov. 2025
His most famous novel, Ninety-Two in the Shade (a 1974 National Book Award finalist), is nominally about a Key West burnout whose determination to become a local fishing guide leads him to ruin.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
And after Musk left DOGE, initially nominally headed by former healthcare executive Amy Gleason, operates primarily through staffers in cost-cutting positions spread across government departments and agencies.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
Like most local elections, Olathe City Council races are nominally nonpartisan contests.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2025
But part of it has to do with savvy money management — even on a nominally low salary.
—Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
While Aurora City Council races are nominally nonpartisan, there’s no escaping the politics of the day as hot-button issues like crime, immigration and police conduct insert themselves, often loudly, into discussions on the dais — and among those sitting in the council chamber audience.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 25 Oct. 2025
Ray Madoff, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2025
Under this system, the brokerages nominally own the stock, but all the rights that attach to it—dividends, voting privileges, and so on—remain with the customers.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2025
And a growing share is coming from nominally private companies like Huawei, maker of smartphones, telecom equipment, and AI software, and CATL, the battery giant.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 20 Nov. 2025
His most famous novel, Ninety-Two in the Shade (a 1974 National Book Award finalist), is nominally about a Key West burnout whose determination to become a local fishing guide leads him to ruin.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
And after Musk left DOGE, initially nominally headed by former healthcare executive Amy Gleason, operates primarily through staffers in cost-cutting positions spread across government departments and agencies.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
Like most local elections, Olathe City Council races are nominally nonpartisan contests.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2025
But part of it has to do with savvy money management — even on a nominally low salary.
—Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
While Aurora City Council races are nominally nonpartisan, there’s no escaping the politics of the day as hot-button issues like crime, immigration and police conduct insert themselves, often loudly, into discussions on the dais — and among those sitting in the council chamber audience.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nominally
slightly
Adverb
-
One slightly wrong rate in a budget, procurement forecast, or loan estimate easily moves millions of dollars in the wrong direction.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Pale pink flower clusters that appear on the light green foliage in summer, slightly earlier than other sedum varieties.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nominally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nominally. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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