nominal
Intermediatezipf 3.60Pronunciation
/ˈnɒmɪnl/(NOM-ih-nl)
Part of speech
adjectiveformal
Chinese
名义上的;象征性的;微不足道的
Definition
Existing in name only; very small or far below the real value; (of a price or fee) token, not reflecting actual cost.
Word family
- nominally/ˈnɒmɪnəli/(adv)名义上
Collocations
- nominal fee
- nominal value
- nominal leader
- nominally independent
- nominal amount
Examples
- 1.The land was sold for a nominal fee of one dollar — the real value of the deal lay in the development rights. (token amount)
- 2.He was the nominal head of the organisation, but the real decisions were made by the board. (in name only)
Synonyms
- token/ˈtoʊkən/— symbolic, not substantial
- symbolic/sɪmˈbɒlɪk/— representing something — not real
- titular/ˈtɪtʃulər/— holding a title but no real authority
Etymology
from Latin "nominalis" (of a name) — "nomen" (name) — existing only as a name, not in substance