Nominal Meaning
/ˈnɒm.ɪ.nl̩/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjOf, resembling, relating to, or consisting of a name or names.
adjAssigned to or bearing a person's name.
Sentence Examples
Price increases explain the difference between the real and nominal growth rates.
Nominal GDP, measured in current prices, grew 5.6% in 2015 and 6.8% in 2016.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The fee was only ____, just a small amount to cover basic costs.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He was the ____ leader of the group, but he had very little actual power.
Word Origin & History
PIE word *h₁nómn̥ Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥ Proto-Italic *nōmn̥ Latin nōmen Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin nōminālisder. Middle English nominalle English nominal From the Middle English nominalle (“of nouns”), borrowed from Latin nōminālis (“of names”), ultimately from oblique stem of Latin nōmen, nōminis (“name”) + -al.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"In contrast to the traditionally conservative or libertarian ethos of the entrepreneurial class, the oligarchy is increasingly allied with the nominally populist Democratic Party and its regulatory agenda."
— 2013 October 5, Joel Kotkin, “California’s New Feudalism Benefits a Few at the Expense of the Multitude”, in The Daily Beast:
"In the summer, DCC [Devon County Council] transferred ownership of the northern part of the station to NR for a nominal £1, enabling it (and the platform) to become part of the rail network."
— 2021 November 17, Andrew Mourant, “Okehampton: a new dawn for Dartmoor”, in RAIL, number 944, page 43:
"The slots are waiting. Waiting for hot pizza. And waiting. The Deliverator honks his horn. This is not a nominal outcome."
— 1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, New York: Bantam Books, →ISBN, page 9:
"Reactor online. Sensors online. Weapons online. All systems nominal."
— 1996 September, Dustin Browder, MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries, spoken by Narrator (Carole Ruggier), Activision:
"Comparisons of the costs of the Diablo Canyon plant with other nuclear power plants can be misleading because the available cost data are in nominal dollars and therefore include the toll of inflation over the construction periods."
— 1991, Richard J. Gilbert, Regulatory Choices: A Perspective on Developments in Energy Policy, page 267:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The fee was only ____, just a small amount to cover basic costs.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He was the ____ leader of the group, but he had very little actual power.