nominally
nominally — adverb
1. according to what is officially said or written, even though the real situation
according to what is officially said or written, even though the real situation is different
Christopher is nominally the manager, but his assistant makes every real decision.
nominally + noun role: title held only on paper
The island stayed nominally independent while a foreign army controlled its ports.
nominally + adjective: status differs from reality
At the hospital, the two wards are nominally separate, yet they share one nursing team.
The factory was nominally owned by the workers, though the bank held all the power.
Yasmin remains nominally in charge, but the day-to-day work has passed to her deputy.
- officially
states what records say, but without the strong hint that reality differs
- supposedly
casts doubt on a claim generally, not specifically a name-versus-fact gap
- theoretically
contrasts an idea with practice, but lacks the 'on paper' sense of a formal title
- actually
points to the real situation rather than the official one
- effectively
describes how things really work in practice
文法句型
nominally + adjective
nominally + past participle
用法筆記
Almost always sets up a contrast: a clause with 'but', 'though', or 'yet' usually states the real situation that differs from the official one. Modifies an adjective, participle, or role noun rather than a full verb.
常見錯誤
nominally — adjective
1. having a stated title or role but not the real power or duties that usually come
having a stated title or role but not the real power or duties that usually come with it
The queen is the nominal head of state, but elected ministers run the country.
nominal + role noun: title without real power
Hui became the nominal leader of the group, while older members decided everything.
As the nominal owner, Felix signed the papers but never visited the farm once.
The two bakeries formed a nominal partnership, but only the older shop ever baked any bread.
- titular
very close, but stresses the title itself; often used of formal heads of state
- official
states the recognised role without implying reality differs
- ostensible
stresses appearance versus hidden truth more broadly
文法句型
nominal + noun
用法筆記
Used attributively before a role noun (head, leader, owner, partner). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about authority that exists only on paper, not about a small amount.
常見錯誤
2. so small in amount that it is hardly worth counting, often charged only as a tok
so small in amount that it is hardly worth counting, often charged only as a token
The museum lets students in for a nominal fee of one dollar.
nominal + fee: token amount
Shanti rented the cottage for a nominal sum because the owner was her uncle.
Volunteers receive only a nominal payment to cover their bus fares.
The charity sold the old chairs for a nominal price to local families.
- substantial
large enough to matter
- considerable
noticeably large in amount
文法句型
nominal + amount noun
用法筆記
Object is almost always a money word (fee, sum, charge, price, payment). Distinguish from sense 1: here the word means 'tiny', not 'in title only'.
常見錯誤
3. being the size or value that is written down or planned, which may differ slight
being the size or value that is written down or planned, which may differ slightly from the measured one
The pipe has a nominal width of two centimetres, though it measures a little less.
nominal + size: stated value, not exact
Mert ordered planks with a nominal length of three metres for the new shed.
The battery's nominal voltage is twelve volts, but it drops as the charge fades.
On site, the bricklayer worked to the nominal size of each brick, not its slightly smaller real one.
- stated
the figure given on the label, plain and neutral
- rated
technical; the value the maker assigns to a product
- approximate
near the real value, but does not stress the 'on the label' idea
文法句型
nominal + measurement noun
用法筆記
Common in engineering and trade contexts, where a stated 'nominal' figure is the label, and the real measurement is close but not identical. Object is a measurement noun (size, width, voltage, length).
常見錯誤
4. to do with a name, especially listing or bearing the names of people
to do with a name, especially listing or bearing the names of people
The teacher read out the nominal roll to check which children were in class.
nominal roll: a list of people's names
Valentina drew up a nominal list so every guest could find their seat.
nominal list: arranged by people's names
The hospital wing has a nominal plaque honouring the doctor who built it.
Each soldier answered when the sergeant called their name on the nominal register.
文法句型
nominal + noun
用法筆記
Rare today; mostly survives in fixed phrases like 'nominal list' (a roll of names) or when a thing bears a founder's name. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about a role without power.
nominally — noun
1. a word or group of words that behaves like a noun in a sentence
a word or group of words that behaves like a noun in a sentence
In grammar class, Lien learned that a whole phrase can act as a single nominal.
nominal as a grammar term
The teacher underlined each nominal so the students could spot the subjects.
A nominal may be one word, like 'rain', or a longer group, like 'the falling rain'.
Dewi marked every nominal in the poem to study how the sentences were built.
- noun phrase
a common label for the multi-word version of the same idea
用法筆記
Specialist term used in grammar and linguistics. Refers to the function a word or phrase plays, not to a part of speech by itself.