Nominal

/ˈnɒmɪnəl/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A word or phrase that serves as a noun.

In the sentence 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog,' 'the quick brown fox' is a nominal phrase.

adjective

Relating to or involving a name or names.

The nominal value of the shares does not reflect their market price.

Pertaining to nominal variables in statistics which categorize without a natural order.

In the survey, gender is treated as a nominal value, distinguishing between male and female respondents.

Existing in name only; not real or actual.

The nominal leader of the committee had no real power over the decisions made.

Insignificantly small; a token amount.

The fee for processing the application was nominal, just to cover administrative costs.

From Latin 'nominalis' meaning 'of a name'.

nominal fee

A small amount that is charged for a service, often just to cover administrative costs.

nominal damage

A token amount awarded in a legal case, acknowledging a wrong that did not cause significant harm.

nominal interest rate

The stated interest rate on a loan or financial product, not adjusted for inflation.

name

A word or set of words by which a person or thing is known, addressed, or referred to.

token

Something that represents or indicates an idea or an amount.

Basic or minimal involvement.

His contribution to the project was quite nominal, just showing up for the meetings.

Just for show or appearance.

The 'manager' title was nominal; he didn't really have any authority.