nominal: Meaning and Definition of

nom•i•nal

Pronunciation: (nom'u-nl), [key]
— adj.
  1. being such in name only; so-called; putative: a nominal treaty; the nominal head of the country.
  2. (of a price, consideration, etc.) named as a mere matter of form, being trifling in comparison with the actual value; minimal.
  3. of, pertaining to, or constituting a name or names.
  4. a nominal suffix.
    1. of, pertaining to, or producing a noun or nouns:a nominal suffix.
    2. functioning as or like a noun.
  5. assigned to a person by name: nominal shares of stock.
  6. containing, bearing, or giving a name or names.
  7. (of money, income, or the like) measured in an amount rather than in real value: Nominal wages have risen 50 percent, but real wages are down because of inflation.
  8. performing or achieved within expected, acceptable limits; normal and satisfactory: The mission was nominal throughout.
  9. done smoothly as expected: The space shot was nominal, proceeding without a hitch.
—n.
  1. a word or group of words functioning as a noun.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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