nominal
existing in name but not reality
Having a title or role only in name, but not having real power or responsibility.
a nominal [role/position/title]
- Although he was the nominal leader of the party, all major decisions were made by his advisors.
- She is the nominal head of the charity, but the manager runs it day to day.
- The president is only the nominal owner of the company; his family controls everything behind the scenes.
- They agreed to give him a nominal position on the board to keep him satisfied.
- In that country, the king is the nominal ruler, while the elected government has real power.
- He is the nominal leader, but other people make the plans.
- She has a nominal role in the project and does not make decisions.
- The king is the nominal ruler, but the prime minister has real power.
very small or symbolic in amount
Costing or being only a very small amount, often just to make it official.
a nominal [amount/fee/charge]
- Members pay only a nominal fee to join the club.
- The museum charges a nominal amount for entry to special exhibitions.
- For a nominal sum, you can upgrade to premium support.
- He sold the old car for a nominal price just to get rid of it.
- Volunteers receive only a nominal payment to cover their travel costs.
- We pay a nominal fee to use the gym.
- There is a nominal charge for the service.
- Students pay only a nominal amount for the bus.
stated in current-price money terms
(In economics) Given as the money amount at the time, not changed for inflation or how much money is really worth.
nominal [GDP/interest rate/wage/value]
- Nominal GDP rose by 5%, but real GDP barely changed.
- The nominal interest rate is 6%, but the real rate is much lower after inflation.
- Workers saw their nominal wages increase, yet their purchasing power fell.
- Investors should look beyond the nominal return and consider inflation.
- In the report, all figures are given in nominal terms unless stated otherwise.
- Nominal GDP is not corrected for inflation.
- The nominal interest rate is 5% this year.
- Her nominal wage went up, but prices also went up.
within normal or expected parameters
(In technical or space language) Working as expected and within normal limits.
[system/process] is nominal
- Telemetry shows that all systems are nominal.
- Engine performance remains nominal throughout the first phase of flight.
- Temperatures are nominal and within the safe operating range.
- The control team reported nominal battery levels on the satellite.
- Apart from a brief off-nominal reading, the mission proceeded nominal.
- The engineer said that all systems were nominal.
- Sensor readings are nominal at this time.
- The rocket launch was nominal with no major problems.
relating to or like a noun
(In grammar) Connected with nouns, or acting like a noun in a sentence.
nominal [group/clause/phrase/form]
- In this sentence, the nominal group consists of a determiner and a noun.
- The language has a complex system of nominal inflection.
- Nominal clauses can function as the subject of a sentence.
- She wrote her thesis on the structure of nominal phrases in English.
- The word "running" here has a nominal function, acting as the subject.
- A nominal phrase can be the subject of a sentence.
- Some words can have a nominal role in grammar.
- The teacher explained what a nominal clause is.
word or phrase acting as noun
(In grammar) A word or group of words that is used like a noun in a sentence.
a nominal [functions as subject/object]
- In this construction, the entire clause functions as a nominal.
- The grammarian analyzed how complex nominals are formed in academic writing.
- Pronouns are often treated as nominals in modern grammar.
- The study focuses on clausal nominals in spoken English.
- In the sentence "Seeing is believing", both gerunds are nominals.
- In this sentence, the word group acts as a nominal.
- A clause can sometimes be a nominal.
- The teacher showed examples of nominals used as subjects.
- Base: nominal
- Base: nominal
- Plural: nominals
all systems nominal
1all systems functioning as expected
Used in space or technical talk to say that every system is working normally and within safe limits.
- Mission control reports all systems nominal.
- Five minutes after launch, all systems were still nominal.
- Engineers confirmed that all systems remained nominal throughout the test.
for a nominal fee
1in return for a very small fee
Used to say that something is available if you pay a very small amount of money.
- We can deliver the furniture to your home for a nominal fee.
- The service will transfer your data for a nominal fee.
- Students can print documents on campus for a nominal fee.
nominal amount
1very small or token amount
A very small amount, often only to make something official or legal.
- The land was sold for a nominal amount to the local council.
- Employees contribute only a nominal amount to the health plan.
- He invested a nominal amount just to support the project.
nominal fee
1very small charge or fee
A very small amount of money that you pay for a service, usually just to make it official.
- Members pay a nominal fee to use the gym.
- There is only a nominal fee for processing your application.
- For a nominal fee, you can access the full online archive.
nominal GDP
1GDP at current prices
The total value of all goods and services a country makes, measured using prices of that same year, without changing for inflation.
- Nominal GDP grew by 7%, but part of that was due to inflation.
- Economists compared nominal GDP and real GDP over ten years.
- The chart shows nominal GDP in local currency terms.
nominal head
1head only in name, not authority
Someone who is officially the head of an organization or group but does not truly control it.
- The king is the nominal head of state, while the prime minister governs.
- She remained the nominal head of the company after stepping back from daily operations.
- The foundation lists him as the nominal head, but his daughter runs everything.
nominal interest rate
1stated interest rate before adjustments
The interest rate that a bank or lender says, not changed for inflation or sometimes not counting how often interest is added.
- The nominal interest rate on the loan is 8%.
- When inflation is high, the real rate can be much lower than the nominal interest rate.
- The central bank decided to cut the nominal interest rate by 0.5 percentage points.
nominal leader
1leader only in title, not power
Someone who has the title of leader, but does not really have control or make the important decisions.
- She is the nominal leader, but the party boss holds the real power.
- The committee has a nominal leader, but decisions are made by consensus.
- Although he is the nominal leader of the group, he rarely attends meetings.
nominal owner
1listed owner without real control
A person whose name is on the official papers as the owner, but who does not really control or use the thing.
- She is the nominal owner of the apartment, but her parents paid for it.
- The company used a nominal owner to hide the real investor.
- He acted as the nominal owner of the yacht for tax reasons.
nominal role
1position with title but no duties
A job or position that someone has in name, but that has almost no real work or power.
- He has a nominal role on the advisory board.
- Her title is impressive, but she plays only a nominal role in the company.
- The committee gave him a nominal role to recognize his past service.
nominal value
1stated or face value
The money value written on a share, bond, or other asset, not its real market value.
- The bond has a nominal value of $1,000.
- Shares were issued with a nominal value of €1 each.
- Inflation eroded the real value, but the nominal value stayed the same.