I. ˈnämən ə l sometimes -mnəl adjective
Etymology: Middle English nominalle, from Medieval Latin nominalis, from Latin, of or relating to a name, from nomin-, nomen name + -alis -al — more at name
1.
a. : of, relating to, or being a noun : substantival
b. : of, relating to, or being a word that is otherwise characteristically an adjective or adverb but that takes a noun construction in a given context (as good in “the good die young”
2.
[ nominal (II) ]
: of or relating to the nominalists
3.
a. : of, relating to, being, or consisting in a name
the Russian system of nominal brevity — Irwin Ross
b. : bearing or mentioning the name of a specific person
nominal shares
c. : containing or being a set of names
nominal lists of priests — Robert Graves
taxable males as revealed by the nominal rolls — M.D.W.Jeffreys
4.
a.
(1) : existing or being something in name or form but usually not in reality : formal , ostensible — distinguised from actual
a large majority of indifferent and lukewarm nominal Christians — Emil Brunner
was both the nominal and the real head of his party
that sign of the nominal virgin — J.H.Wheelwright
we'll consider that the jewelry had only a nominal value — Erle Stanley Gardner
the budget continued in nominal balance — Collier's Year Book
the plaintiff is only a nominal party and not the real party in interest — D.C.Cook & Myer Feldman
the nominal spokesman for a continent in travail — Time
the pleasure derived from them … is practically nominal — Herbert Spencer
(2) : measured in money as distinct from actual purchasing power
nominal wages
— compare real
b. : being so small, slight, or negligible as scarcely to be entitled to the name : trifling , insignificant
parts are supplied at a nominal cost — R.S.Casey & J.W.Perry
will pay a nominal price when it suits him — Walter Lippmann
c. : not known to exist except as a name
a nominal species
— compare nominate
5.
a. : approximate , rated
although described as 4 inch by 4 inch, which is the nominal size, a piece which has been dried and dressed on four sides is actually 3 5/8 by 3 5/8 inch — American Builder Catalog Directory
the nominal voltage of a circuit, or system, is a value assigned to a circuit, or system of a given voltage class, for the purpose of convenient designation — Electrical Engineering
b. of a price : based on opinions of value expressed by buyers and sellers rather than on actual transactions when there is little or no trading in a particular commodity
• nom·i·nal·ly - ə lē, -mnəl-, -i adverb
II. noun
( -s )
1. : an individual that exists or is something in name or form but not in reality
the Republican side … includes a lot of nominals — R.H.Rovere
2. : a note from which a scale or other series of musical tones is named
III. adjective
: being according to plan : falling within a range of acceptable planned limits : satisfactory
everything was nominal during the spacecraft launch
the satellite had a nominal orbit
IV. noun
1. : a linguistic form (as English boy or he ) that inflects for number or case or for both
2. : a word or word group functioning as a noun normally functions