Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Nominal for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Nominal" — adjective, pronounced /ˈnɒmɪnəl/, with the stress on "nom".
Narrator: Nominal means in name only, not real, or very small in amount.
Narrator: In plain English, nominal means in name only — like a nominal fee that's very small.
Narrator: It comes from the Latin nominalis, meaning of a name, from nomen, a name.
Narrator: "A nominal fee" describes a very small charge, almost nothing.
Narrator: It differs from token because nominal is about amount, whereas token is symbolic.
Narrator: "A nominal head" is a sense meaning a leader in name only, without real power.
Narrator: Finance, politics, description, grammar and everyday speech all rely on the word nominal.
Narrator: So remember: nominal means in name only, from the Latin for of a name.
Speaker A: What does nominal mean?
Speaker B: In name only! NOMINAL comes from the Latin nominalis, of a name, from nomen, a name, so it means in name only or very small.
Speaker A: So a nominal fee is very small?
Speaker B: Yes — almost nothing!
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "A nominal fee"; "a nominal head"; "nominal value" — amount, role and finance.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Don't confuse nominal with normal, because nominal means in name only, while normal means usual.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: 'Token' the symbolic cousin, 'minimal' the small twin, 'titular' the in-name alternative. The word keeps its named charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "nominal" in AI prompts — useful for finance apps and politics tools.
Speaker A: So a prompt could frame finance?
Speaker B: Right. For a finance app, you'd write:
Prompt: Write a short guide to nominal fees, naming two examples.
Speaker A: How about a politics tool?
Speaker B: Ask the model to advise:
Prompt: Draft a guide to nominal leaders, naming two features.
Speaker A: Could it help with a grammar bot?
Speaker B: Yes, you can frame linguistics:
Prompt: Summarise in two sentences what nominal means in grammar, naming one example.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: For a finance chatbot, try this:
Prompt: Write a short note on nominal value, naming one definition.
Nominal — meaning in Arabic & definition More N courses GL Dictionary