nominal
/ˈnɒmɪnl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnɑːmɪnl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈnä-mə-nᵊl ˈnäm-nəl/ (ame, mw)
nominal — adjective
- nominalpositive
- more nominalcomparative
- most nominalsuperlative
1. Holding an official title or description that does not match the real situation,
Holding an official title or description that does not match the real situation, because the actual power, authority, or worth belongs to someone or something else.
The king was the nominal head of state, but the prime minister held real power.
contrast: nominal title vs real authority
Although Meera was nominal director of the project, she made none of the major decisions.
Hamza acted as the nominal team captain, but the coach truly ran the squad.
The company's nominal value on paper does not reflect its actual market worth.
- titular
Emphasises holding a title without the corresponding duties; more formal and less common
- so-called
Informal and often implies the description is misleading or false
- theoretical
Focuses on what is supposed to be true in principle, not what exists in practice
- formal
Emphasises official status without practical effect; broader in use
文法句型
nominal + [title/role/value]
用法筆記
Often used to contrast an official position or description with the reality of who truly holds power or control. Frequently paired with words like head, leader, director, ruler, or value.
常見錯誤
2. Referring to an amount of money that is deliberately kept very low, serving more
Referring to an amount of money that is deliberately kept very low, serving more as a formality than as a realistic price for what is received.
Members can borrow books for a nominal fee of fifty dollars per year.
collocation: nominal fee
The clinic offers basic health checks at a nominal charge for low-income families.
collocation: nominal charge
Adisa bought the used bicycle for a nominal sum of just five hundred yen.
Students pay a nominal registration fee, and the university covers the rest.
- token
Emphasises the symbolic nature of the payment; often used with payment, sum, or gesture
- symbolic
Focuses on the gesture rather than the monetary value; slightly less common than token
- minimal
Broad term for the smallest possible amount; not limited to payments
- negligible
So small it is hardly worth considering; more formal and quantitative
- substantial
A large or significant amount, the opposite of a small fee
- considerable
Fairly large in amount, size, or degree
- exorbitant
Unreasonably high; much more than is fair or expected
文法句型
nominal + [fee/charge/cost/rent/sum]
用法筆記
Commonly appears before payment-related nouns such as fee, charge, cost, rent, tuition, or sum. The amount is tiny compared to the actual value of the product or service — for example, a NT$100 fee for a course that normally costs NT$10,000.
常見錯誤
3. Describing a word, phrase, or clause that fills a position normally occupied by
Describing a word, phrase, or clause that fills a position normally occupied by a noun — for example, acting as the subject or object in a sentence.
In the phrase 'the rich', the adjective 'rich' takes on a nominal function.
example: 'rich' as nominal adjective
A nominal clause can serve as a subject, as in 'What she said surprised everyone.'
pattern: nominal clause as subject
Élise's grammar textbook explains the difference between nominal and verbal phrases.
Students often confuse nominal modifiers with true adjectives in their writing.
- noun-based
Less formal and more direct; used in teaching contexts
- substantival
A more technical, Latinate synonym common in older grammar writing; rarely used today
- noun-like
Informal way of describing words that behave like nouns without being nouns themselves
- verbal
Relating to verbs or having verb-like function
- adjectival
Relating to adjectives or having adjective-like function
- adverbial
Relating to adverbs or having adverb-like function
文法句型
nominal + [clause/phrase/function/group/modifier/adjective]
用法筆記
Primarily used in grammar, linguistics, and language-teaching contexts. Not part of everyday conversation. In traditional grammar, this sense covers both single words used as nouns (e.g. 'the poor') and multi-word units (e.g. 'that he arrived late').
常見錯誤
nominal — noun
1. A linguistic unit — either a single word or a group of words — that occupies the
A linguistic unit — either a single word or a group of words — that occupies the same position in a sentence that a noun typically does, such as subject, object, or complement.
In the sentence 'Swimming is fun', the gerund 'Swimming' functions as a nominal.
example: gerund as nominal
A nominal can be a single noun or a group of words acting as one.
pattern: single word or group
Caio struggled to identify the nominal in the complex sentence his teacher wrote.
The professor explained that both gerunds and infinitive phrases can serve as nominals.
- noun phrase
More widely known; specifically refers to a phrase with a noun as its head, whereas a nominal can be a clause
- noun group
Common in British English school grammar; similar scope to noun phrase
- substantive
Historical term in older grammar writing; now rare outside specialised contexts
文法句型
function as a nominal
identify the nominal
用法筆記
A technical term in grammar analysis. In linguistics, the term 'nominal' is often preferred over 'noun phrase' when discussing clauses or words that are not typical nouns but still fill a noun position. The plural form is nominals.