nominaladj.n.
/ˈnɒmᵻnl/, U.S. /ˈnɑmən(ə)l/, /ˈnɑmn(ə)l/ A. adj. † 2. Philosophy. Of or relating to nominalists; holding nominalist views. Cf. nominalist n. and adj. Obsolete. rare.
1. Grammar. Of or relating to a noun or nouns; of the nature of a noun. rare before 19th cent.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > a part of speech > noun > [adjective]
substantivea1398
substantivatec1400
nominalc1450
substantival1796
nounal1871
nouny1926
c1450 Art Nombryng in R. Steele Earliest Arithm. in Eng. (1922) 40 (MED) The nombre to be multipliede resceyvethe a nominalle appellacioun, as twies 5. 5 is the nombre multipliede and twies is the nombre to be multipliede.
1843 Proc. Philol. Soc. (1844) 1 27 Their scheme of terminations..is more or less applicable to every case of nominal inflexion.
1874 A. H. Sayce Princ. Compar. Philol. ii. 80 Accadian seems to have nominal as well as verbal roots.
1924 O. Jespersen Philos. Gram. ix. 120 Here we first encounter the so-called nominal sentences, containing a subject and a predicative, which may be either a substantive or an adjective.
1954 M. A. Pei & F. Gaynor Dict. Linguistics 147 Nominal sentence, a sentence in which the principal part..is a noun or nominal form.
1991 Man 26 277 Active adjectives are a class of nominal modifiers used to express certain types of adverbial meaning.
ΚΠ
1528 W. Tyndale Obed. Christen Man f. xviijv One is a reall, a nother a nominall. What wonderfull dreames have they of their predicamentes, vniversales, [etc.].
1674 S. Butler Hudibras (new ed.) i. i. 10 Profound in all the Nominal And real ways beyond them all.
1709 Ld. Shaftesbury Moralists ii. ii. 73 Others, one may say, are only nominal Moralists, by making Virtue nothing, or a mere Name of fashion.
3.
a. Existing in name only; merely named (without reference to fact or reality); not real or actual.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > naming > [adjective] > giving names of persons dealt with
nominal1610
the world > existence and causation > existence > substantiality or concreteness > unsubstantiality or abstractness > [adjective] > that exists in name only
titulary1587
titular1591
unreal1605
nominal1610
1610 G. Webbe Posie of Spirituall Flowers 45 The glorie of it [sc. nobility] is but a nominall credit begged from dead men.
1624 Abp. J. Williams in S. R. Gardiner Fortescue Papers (1871) 203 Whereby he may be a nominall Judge of the Common Pleas, with his place in Wales, he disclayminge from all fees and profitts of the place in the Common Pleas.
1693 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 17 800 They divided their Cabala into Nominal and Real.
1701 London Gaz. No. 3758/3 We shall at all times be most ready..to assert Your undoubted Right to these..Realms.., against the Nominal Prince of Wales.
1776 A. Smith Inq. Wealth of Nations I. i. v. 39 Labour, like commodities, may be said to have a real and a nominal price. View more context for this quotation
1833 H. Martineau Manch. Strike (new ed.) v. 57 I said the nominal amount of your wages mattered little. I said nothing about the real amount.
1885 Law Times Rep. 53 484/2 Where an insolvent sues as a mere nominal plaintiff, as a mere shadow of another person, security is required.
1918 A. G. Gardiner Leaves in Wind 145 The challenges were couched in the most ruthless terms. This was to be no mere nominal satisfaction of honour.
1988 L. Appignanesi Simone de Beauvoir iv. 70 The Vichy Government, despite its nominal independence, did everything that the Germans ordered.
b. Not substantial; very small in relation to an expected or required amount; token.
ΚΠ
1661 O. Feltham Lusoria xx. 17 All Your Jests so nominal, Are things so far beneath an able Brain.
1799 Sporting Mag. 14 175 An action for mere nominal damages.
1807 A. J. Dallas Rep. Cases U.S. & Pennsylvania 4 120 On the 6th of September 1787, the plaintiff conveyed the premises to James Pemberton, for the nominal consideration of five shillings.
1817 J. Mill Hist. Brit. India II. v. vii. 592 To this, with only a nominal modification, the Council agreed.
1891 A. Conan Doyle in Strand Aug. 191 There is now another vacancy open which entitles a member of the League to a salary of four pounds a week for purely nominal services.
1941 W. S. Churchill Minute 6 May in Second World War (1950) III. i. xiv. 228 Why should the troops at Habbaniya give in before May 12? Their losses have been nominal as so far reported.
1985 Lilith Feb.–Mar. 5/1 Walpo will be sharing the space with an MSC project, and paying a nominal weekly rent.
4. Of or relating to names (in distinction to things); relating to the act of naming; of the nature of a name.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > naming > name or appellation > [adjective]
titulary1586
titular?1605
appellative1607
nominal1620
onomastical1715
onomastic1716
onymatic1860
appellational1882
onomantic1914
1620 T. Granger Syntagma Logicum 158 Primortiues are either nominall and simple, or reall and compound.
1690 J. Locke Ess. Humane Understanding iii. vi. 208 I call it by a peculiar name, the nominal Essence, to distinguish it from that real Constitution of Substances, upon which depends this nominal Essence.
1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Character Nominal Characters are those we properly call Letters; which serve to express the Names of Things.
1796 J. Morse Amer. Universal Geogr. (new ed.) I. 232 The time, however, is anticipated..that all nominal distinctions shall be lost in the general and honourable name of Americans.
1872 W. Swinton Rambles among Words 228 Often..highest art is displayed in the workings of creative Imagination on nominal emblems for these avatars of the mind.
1898 J. Hutchinson in Arch. Surg. 9 305 I will not venture on any diagnosis of the disease, whether nominal or essential.
1925 Jrnl. Philos. 22 271 These nominal essences are the names of all the materials of our knowledge.
1996 Jrnl. Asian Stud. 55 567 Despite the absence of consistently observed nominal distinctions between official temples and the Qufu temple, there were some important differences.
5. † a. Containing explicit mention of a name. Obsolete. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > naming > [adjective] > mentioning a name
nominal1788
nominate1880
1788 in E. Dunbar Social Life Former Days (1865) 1st Ser. 392 Nominal prayers for the King are to be authoritatively introduced.
b. Consisting of or containing a set of names.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > naming > [adjective] > bearing a name or names
nominal1802
onymous1864
onomatous1869
nominative1872
1802 C. James New Mil. Dict. Nominal Call, which corresponds with the French appel nominatif; and, in a military sense, with our roll call.
1844 Queen's Regulations & Orders Army 178 A Nominal Return of such Men as from time to time join the Depôt.
1884 Manch. Examiner 30 Sept. 4/6 The Secretary..has forwarded to us a nominal list..of the officers and crew of the gunboat Wasp.
1925 R. A. Freeman Puzzle Lock i. 29 Do you know what this is?.. It is the nominal roll, address book and journal of the gang.
1942 R.A.F. Jrnl. 16 May 12 At the port of embarkation, lists and nominal rolls are waiting.
1991 Hist. & Computing 3 23/1 The techniques employed include the sorting and merging of nominal data files, computer graphics and database management.
c. Stock Market. Of capital, shares, etc.: assigned to a person by name.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > naming > [adjective] > assigned to a person by name
nominal1822
1822 in Drama (1823) 4 24 Dramatic dealers in nominal stock are not quite so lucky as with us.
1869 Bradshaw's Railway Man. 21 369 The nominal capital now consists of 92,000 original shares of 5l each; 38,000 preference shares of 4l each: and 32,000 obligations of 4l each.
1882 Times 8 Feb. 11/1 These shares are still nominal, and the original subscribers, as well as subsequent holders are liable on them.
1964 Lebende Sprachen 9 98/2 The amount of capital stated in the memorandum of association which a joint-stock company may issue is called nominal or authorized capital.
1994 Amer. Hist. Rev. 99 1220 Raiffeisen cooperatives were compelled to introduce nominal shares.
6. Originally and chiefly Astronautics. Functioning acceptably, normal.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > order > agreement, harmony, or congruity > conformity to or with a pattern, etc. > [adjective] > conforming to a standard rule > within prescribed limits
nominal1961
1961 M. Savage Launch Vehicle Handbk. (NASA) A-2 For nominal flights, the pitch gyro of the Scout will be torqued at rates which will produce a zero lift.
1966 Aviation Week & Space Technol. 5 Dec. 30/1 The mission is to launch the 800-lb. Prime vehicle to effect a nominal re-entry at 400,000 ft. following injection at 26,000 fps.
1982 M. Leapman Yankee Doodles iii. 177 During the flight, nominal was the word used most frequently. It appeared to mean normal, or within the nominated guide lines (parameters). ‘That's nominal’ meant ‘no problem’.
1994 H. Weinstein Better Man xi. 108 At the time of our departure for the Enterprise, all readings were nominal.
B. n.† 1. A nominalist. Obsolete.† 2. A thing existing in name only. Obsolete. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > scholasticism > [noun] > nominalism > adherent of
nominal1519
nominalist1622
terminist1652
non-realist1909
1519 W. Horman Vulgaria viii. f. 93 The wey of the nomynallys and reals is dyuers.
1565 J. Jewel Replie Hardinges Answeare viii. 395 He should haue remembred..That Scotus is against Thomas:..and the Nominales against the Reales.
1604 T. Wright Passions of Minde (new ed.) vi. 298 Those dissenting and contradicting Sectes of..Realles and Nominalles.
1640 H. Glapthorne Wit in Constable ii. sig. Civ The Nominalls, the Thomists, all the sects Of old and moderne Schoole-men.
1680 R. Baxter Answer to Dr. Stillingfleet Pref. sig. A 3v A Nominal, who contracteth all his Syllogisms into simple terms of art.
1725 I. Watts Logick ii. iii. 339 In the Colleges of Learning, some are for the Nominals, and some for the Realists.
1772 S. O'Halloran Introd. Study Hist. Ireland i. iv. 38 William Halloran, head of the Nominals at Oxford.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > that which is unimportant > insubstantial
triflec1290
vainc1330
winda1382
vapour1382
gossamer?a1400
visevase1481
good morrow1542
cobweb1579
superficial1579
puff1583
bladder1589
blathery1591
froth1594
bag of winda1599
moth1600
nominala1625
tumour1630
windlestraw1637
vacuity1648
balloon1656
blank1678
breath bubble1835
nominality1842
fluff1906
cotton candy1931
the world > existence and causation > existence > substantiality or concreteness > unsubstantiality or abstractness > [noun] > unsubstantiality or lack of substance > something lacking substance > a thing existing in name only
nominala1625
titulado1659
nominality1842
nominis umbrac1874
unobtainium1956
a1625 J. Boys Wks. (1629) 261 Deuills are not Nominals onely but Reals.
a1626 L. Andrewes Serm. (1856) I. 142 The names of His imposing; there is no surer place in logic than from them. His nominals be reals.
1661 J. Glanvill Vanity of Dogmatizing 134 Euery Religion hath its bare Nominals.
3. Grammar.† a. A verb derived from a noun. Cf. denominal adj. and n. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > a part of speech > verb > [noun] > other specific types of verb
vocative verbc1414
activec1450
passivec1450
substantive verba1475
neuter1530
gesture1612
nominal1666
quiescent1720
reduplicative1756
dative verb1844
factitive1845
preterite-present1859
compound verb1863
pro-verb1868
preterito-presentia1870
preteritive present1872
action verb1877
verbid1914
inversive1931
eventive1946
hypothetical1957
non-factive1970
commonization1973
contrafactive1985
1666 J. Eliot Indian Grammar Begun 6 In respect of their Rise some are..Nominals: or Verbs Chiefly made out of Nouns.
1808 C. Wilkins Gram. Sanskrĭta Lang. v. 372 Nominals are derivative verbs, having for their primitive theme any noun or pronoun.
a1813 A. Murray Hist. European Lang. (1823) II. 281 Nominals are verbs formed from nouns which undergo the addition of the consignatives peculiar to the future participles.
b. A word or phrase that functions as a noun.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > a part of speech > noun > [noun] > word with function but not form of noun
nominal1904
1904 H. Poutsma Gram. Late Mod. Eng. i. §1 i. 1 A nominal (a noun or adjective) or a word (-group) doing duty as a nominal.
1935 H. Straumann Newspaper Headlines 49 Words of these formal characteristics will be called nominals.
1972 R. R. K. Hartmann & F. C. Stork Dict. Lang. & Linguistics 151/2 Nominal, a name given..to a word which functions as a..noun, but does not have all the formal characteristics of a noun (i.e. in English the distinction between singular and plural and between common and possessive cases).
1990 Canad. Jrnl. Linguistics 35 169 Normally intransitive verbs can take COs [sc. cognate objects] which are not predicate nominals.
4. Music. A note giving its name to a scale. rare.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > pitch > system of sounds or intervals > [noun] > diatonic scale series > notes in diatonic scale
keya1450
seventh1591
fifth1597
final1609
octave1656
sub-octave1659
keynote1677
mediant1721
sensible note?1775
subdominant?1775
submediant?1775
medius1782
leading note1786
nominal1786
subsemitone1799
superdominant1806
supertonic1806
tonic1806
subtonic1817
dominant1823
sensitive note1845
nominal note1884
1786 T. Busby Compl. Dict. Music (at cited word) C, the nominal of one of the two natural modes.
1895 Pall Mall Mag. 7 191 The tones of nominals, fundamentals, and hum-notes, seem to move, as it were in three separate spheres.
1987 Country Life 3 Dec. 190/3 It is the ‘nominal’..which we normally hear as the bell's principal pitch.
Compounds
nominal account n. Accounting a record of financial transactions (payments and receipts) in a particular category rather than with a person or organization.
ΚΠ
1849 J. H. Freese Commerc. Class-bk. 104 A principal Nominal Account..is that of Profit & Loss, which account contains on the Cr[edit] side, all the surplus amounts..on the Cr[edit] side of other nominal accounts,..such as Commission account, Interest account, Charges account, &c.
1994 Accountancy Sept. 55/1 (advt.) On-screen nominal account enquiries with full drill-down to individual double entry gives exceptional auditability.
nominal definition n. Philosophy a definition of a word rather than of the thing which the word signifies; a definition which describes the distinctive attributes or properties of a thing rather than its actual nature or essence.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > philosophy of language > meaning > [noun] > definition
nominal definition1697
genetic definitiona1856
ostensive definition1921
ostension1939
stipulative definition1950
the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > logic > logical proposition > term of a proposition > [noun] > connotation
connotation1662
nominal definition1697
connotative term1829
1697 tr. F. Burgersdijck Monitio Logica ii. i. 2 Nominal definition appears to be threefold.
1725 I. Watts Logick 160 Those propositions whose predicate is a nominal or real definition of the subject.
1864 F. C. Bowen Treat. Logic iv. 86 A Nominal Definition is a distinct explication of all the Marks which are connoted in the name of the Concept by general consent, as evinced in the use of language.
1993 Philos. Rev. 102 93 Here is a partial list of topics touched on in Ockham's Quodlibets:..the theory of definition, including real and nominal definitions [etc.].
nominal genus n. Zoology a genus as denoted by an available name; cf. nominal taxon n.
ΚΠ
1917 Science 24 Aug. 177/1 It was definitely determined that the nominal genus Querimana comprises the young of the genus Mugil.
1997 Bull. Zool. Nomencl. 54 162 The purpose of this application is to designate Rana fasciata Smith, 1849 as the type species of the nominal genus Strongylopus Tschudi, 1838 in accordance with current universal understanding and usage.
nominal ledger n. Accounting a ledger containing nominal accounts; (now usually) a ledger containing both nominal and real accounts (cf. general ledger n. at general adj. and n. Compounds 2).
ΚΠ
1911 E. E. Spicer & E. C. Pegler Pract. Auditing Index 723 Nominal ledger, see Impersonal Ledger.
1978 J. Kellock Elem. Accounting i. 9 Real Accounts recorded in the Impersonal Ledger which also may be referred to as the Nominal Ledger.
1991 What Personal Computer Dec. 137/1 Double entry, an accounting system that balances each transaction in the nominal ledger with another equal and opposite transaction.
nominal note n. = sense A. 3.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > pitch > system of sounds or intervals > [noun] > diatonic scale series > notes in diatonic scale
keya1450
seventh1591
fifth1597
final1609
octave1656
sub-octave1659
keynote1677
mediant1721
sensible note?1775
subdominant?1775
submediant?1775
medius1782
leading note1786
nominal1786
subsemitone1799
superdominant1806
supertonic1806
tonic1806
subtonic1817
dominant1823
sensitive note1845
nominal note1884
1884 Encycl. Brit. XVII. 103/2 Sounds of a higher pitch than the nominal note, in fact the harmonics, of which the nominal note is the fundamental.
nominal relative n. Grammar a relative pronoun, determiner, or adverb that introduces a nominal relative clause (for an example in English, see what pron. 10).
ΚΠ
1985 R. Quirk et al. Comprehensive Gram. Eng. Lang. 1057 On the wh-items that function as nominal relatives, cf 6.35 Note [b].
1996 S. Greenbaum Oxf. Eng. Gram. 190 Nominal relatives introduce nominal relative clauses.
nominal relative clause n. Grammar a nominal clause introduced by a relative word, but containing the antecedent of the relative within itself, and functioning in a way similar to a noun phrase.
ΚΠ
1972 R. Quirk et al. Gram. Contemp. Eng. xiv. 964 The extraposed clause may be any kind of nominal clause, except a nominal relative clause.
1992 Lit. & Ling. Computing 7 30/1 Pseudo-cleft structures differ from cleft structures..in that they are restricted to having a nominal relative clause as Subject or Complement.
nominal species n. Zoology a species as denoted by an available name; cf. nominal taxon n.
ΚΠ
1833 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 123 781 Several nominal species of these and allied genera depend on variations in the shape of the shell.
1908 Missouri Bot. Garden Ann. Rep. 276 In 1865 [Koch] abandoned rigida altogether, finding the name then used for a number of nominal species.
1991 Annales Zoologici Fennici 28 291 The many nominal species of llamas of the genus Hemiauchenia are..probably synonyms of H. macrocephala (Cope).
nominal taxon n. Zoology (the concept of) a taxon as formally denoted by a name which is available according to the rules of nomenclature, for which a corresponding type is or may be assigned, and which a taxonomist may either recognize as valid or place in synonymy with another.
ΚΠ
1959 Systematic Zool. 8 83/2 All specimens considered to be conspecific with the type are referred to the same nominal taxon as the type.
1993 Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 102 327 There is type material of 50 avian nominal taxa (of which 12 are fossil) in the South African Museum.
nominal value n. the value assigned to something; the face (as opposed to the actual or intrinsic) value.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > value of money > [noun] > as amount stated on face of note, coin, or stamp
nominal value1696
face value1851
facial value1859
1696 E. H. Decus & Tutamen Ep. Ded. p. vii I look upon the great Mistake of such as are for having the nominal value of our Coin raised..to be owing chiefly to this misguided Supposition.
1785 T. Jefferson Notes Virginia xxi. 311 In this as well as the other American states the nominal value of the coin was made to differ from what it was in the country we had left.
1883 Cent. Mag. Feb. 542/2 Milhet and Le Sassier returned, carrying with them..an order re-funding the colonial debt at three-fifths of its nominal value.
1994 Stamp & Coin Mart Mar. 151 The opportunity was..taken to launch the Ballerina, a palladium bullin coin with a nominal value of 25 roubles.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.c1450