adj.
Pronunciation: ' nä-m ə -n ə l, ' näm-n ə l
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English nominalle, from Medieval Latin nominalis, from Latin, of a name, from nomin-, nomen name ― more at NAME
Date: 15th century
1 : of, relating to, or being a noun or a word or expression taking a noun construction
2 a : of, relating to, or constituting a name b : bearing the name of a person
3 a : existing or being something in name or form only < nominal head of his party> b : of, being, or relating to a designated or theoretical size that may vary from the actual : APPROXIMATE <the pipe's nominal size> c : TRIFLING , INSIGNIFICANT <his involvement was nominal > <charged only nominal rent>
4 of a rate of interest a : equal to the annual rate of simple interest that would obtain if interest were not compounded when in fact it is compounded and paid for periods of less than a year b : equal to the percentage by which a repaid loan exceeds the principal borrowed with no adjustment made for inflation
5 : being according to plan : SATISFACTORY <everything was nominal during the launch>
– nom · i · nal · ly adverb