nominal

Very small compared with the real cost or value of something.

• We charge a nominal fee.
• They let us use the room for a nominal rent.
• Visitors pay only a nominal amount to enter the garden.

Similar words: token, minimal, small

Opposites: substantial

Common phrases: nominal fee, nominal charge, nominal rent

Describing a price, wage, or amount before allowing for changes in what money can buy.

• Nominal wages rose this year.
• Inflation reduced the value of their nominal pay increase.
• The report compares real and nominal interest rates.

Similar words: unadjusted

Opposites: real

Common phrases: nominal wages, nominal growth, nominal interest rate

Having a title or status officially, but without its usual power or effect in practice.

• He was the nominal leader.
• The island had nominal independence but little control over its affairs.
• Her nominal authority did not influence the team's decisions.

Similar words: titular, in name only

Opposites: actual, real

Common phrases: nominal leader, nominal independence, nominal authority, nominal control

Describing the stated or expected value of something, which may differ from its measured value.

• The battery's nominal voltage is twelve volts.
• Its actual diameter differs slightly from the nominal size.
• We measured the output and compared it with the nominal value.

Similar words: stated, rated

Opposites: actual

Common phrases: nominal voltage, nominal diameter, nominal capacity

Connected with a noun or a group of words used as a noun.

• The teacher explained nominal clauses.
• This language uses special endings on nominal forms.
• We compared verbal and nominal structures in the text.

Common phrases: nominal phrase, nominal form, nominal clause

A noun or group of words that forms the main part of a noun phrase.

• The nominal follows the determiner.
• Students identified the nominals in each sentence.
• This nominal contains a noun and two modifiers.

Common phrases: complex nominal, nominal head, a nominal

A word or phrase that has some of the grammatical features of a noun.

• This word is classified as a nominal.
• In this language, nominals can take case endings.
• The chapter compares nominals with other word classes.

Common phrases: inflected nominal, nominal category, a nominal

A number used to identify something, rather than to show an amount or position.

• The number on a player's shirt is a nominal.
• These nominals identify records rather than count them.
• The system uses each character code as a nominal.

Similar words: identifier, numeric code

Common phrases: numeric nominal, a nominal, nominal identifier