SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
nominal
adjective
Very small in amount; also existing in name rather than in actual effect.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
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Very small in amount
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topA nominal fee is small relative to the service or situation; it is not necessarily zero.
In name only
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topNominal authority exists in title without corresponding practical power; formal authority may still be effective.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See nominal in use
The club charged a nominal fee to cover printing costs.
A nominal printing expense did not justify endless discussion about every decorative detail. The group agreed to avoid another inordinate delay and approved a simple design.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license