nominal
/ˈnɒmɪnl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnɑːmɪnl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈnä-mə-nᵊl ˈnäm-nəl/ (ame, mw)
nominal — 形容詞
- nominalpositive
- more nominalcomparative
- most nominalsuperlative
1. Holding an official title or description that does not match the real situation,
名義上的
有名無實的；只在名義上存在
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.
國王是名義上的國家元首，但實權掌握在首相手中。
contrast: nominal title vs real authority
Although Meera was nominal director of the project, she made none of the major decisions.
Meera 雖然是該專案的名義負責人，但重大決策都不是她做的。
Hamza acted as the nominal team captain, but the coach truly ran the squad.
Hamza 掛名當了隊長，但實際上球隊是由教練在帶領。
The company's nominal value on paper does not reflect its actual market worth.
該公司在帳面上的名義價值，無法反映其真實的市場價值。
- 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
象徵性的
金額極低，僅具形式意義
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.
會員每年只需支付象徵性的五十美元，就可以借閱圖書。
collocation: nominal fee
The clinic offers basic health checks at a nominal charge for low-income families.
這間診所為低收入家庭提供基本健康檢查，只收取象徵性的費用。
collocation: nominal charge
Adisa bought the used bicycle for a nominal sum of just five hundred yen.
Adisa 只花了象徵性的五百日圓，就買下了那輛二手腳踏車。
Students pay a nominal registration fee, and the university covers the rest.
學生只需繳交象徵性的報名費，其餘費用由大學負擔。
- 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
名詞性的
與名詞或名詞功能相關的
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.
在「the rich」這個片語中，形容詞「rich」發揮了名詞性的功能。
example: 'rich' as nominal adjective
A nominal clause can serve as a subject, as in 'What she said surprised everyone.'
名詞性子句可以充當主詞，例如「What she said surprised everyone」。
pattern: nominal clause as subject
Élise's grammar textbook explains the difference between nominal and verbal phrases.
Élise 的文法課本解釋了名詞性片語和動詞性片語之間的差異。
Students often confuse nominal modifiers with true adjectives in their writing.
學生在寫作時經常混淆名詞性修飾語和真正的形容詞。
- 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 — 名詞
1. A linguistic unit — either a single word or a group of words — that occupies the
名詞性詞組
在句中擔任名詞功能的語言單位
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.
在「Swimming is fun」這個句子中，動名詞「Swimming」擔任名詞性詞組的功能。
example: gerund as nominal
A nominal can be a single noun or a group of words acting as one.
名詞性詞組可以是一個名詞，也可以是一組當作單一單位使用的詞。
pattern: single word or group
Caio struggled to identify the nominal in the complex sentence his teacher wrote.
Caio 費了一番功夫才找出老師寫的那個複雜句子裡的名詞性詞組。
The professor explained that both gerunds and infinitive phrases can serve as nominals.
教授解釋說，動名詞和不定詞片語都可以充當名詞性詞組。
- 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.