1
as in titular
being something in name or form only
he was the nominal head of state—everyone knew the country was actually run by one of his advisers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slight
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
when you pay $400 for an airline ticket, a ticketing fee of five dollars seems nominal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in substantive
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nominal
Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Benefits include a retirement pension, free community college, college credits, property tax exemptions and soon, fire officials hope, nominal compensation.
—April 13, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Based on the two Argentines’ limited head-to-head history on the Challengers circuit — all three meetings had been won by Burrachaga in three sets — the son of one of his country’s most famous soccer players was the nominal favorite.
—Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026
The cast of Netflix’s YA comedy XO, Kitty also tried renegotiating after Season 2 but received nominal bonuses instead, sources said.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nominal
Adjective
There is a nominal charge of $10 per person.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Benefits include a retirement pension, free community college, college credits, property tax exemptions and soon, fire officials hope, nominal compensation.
—April 13, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Based on the two Argentines’ limited head-to-head history on the Challengers circuit — all three meetings had been won by Burrachaga in three sets — the son of one of his country’s most famous soccer players was the nominal favorite.
—Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026
The cast of Netflix’s YA comedy XO, Kitty also tried renegotiating after Season 2 but received nominal bonuses instead, sources said.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nominal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nominal
Adjective
-
The titular vampire gang has formed a band, and when its members start to shred, the stage sinks down to create a mosh pit—a hellish underworld into which victims later drop.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The game features a groundbreaking combat system that’s less hack-and-slash, more ultraviolent chess as Jin Sakai fights for the titular island.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Knicks are slight favorites to win Game 4, and a win would flip things back around.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
If your car is equipped with front radar or driver‑assist features, dirt on the sensor or slight misalignment from a parking‑lot bump could also be the culprit.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
First Acts: From the symbolic to the substantive, here is a look at what nine new governors elected last year have done in their first weeks in office.—
Maggie Astor,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2023
-
With his substantive, agreeably granular bass, David Grogan gave prophetic warnings real authority.—
Dallas News,
Dallas News,
23 Dec. 2022
Adjective
-
For the most part, any additional cost will be negligible, but the benefits to future generations are great.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
That produces negligible amounts of heat and pressure overall, and so the internal core continues to contract.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
What last Friday’s 5-0 win away to Sunderland might have done for Pereira is give him just a tiny bit more freedom; the opportunity to go slightly stronger with his team selections in these two games against Villa, either side of a still-vital trip to Chelsea on Monday.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The technique used to measure the singularities’ velocity could open the door to studying other tiny, fast phenomena in physics, chemistry and biology—or perhaps to find new ways to encode quantum information in materials, according to the researchers.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On the surface, the 50-year-old multimillionaire head coach of LSU getting petty online on a random Saturday in late April is an odd move.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The souring of their relationship has at times bordered on the petty and personal.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nominal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nominal. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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