Nominal

Etymology

From Latin "nōminālis," "of or relating to a name," from "nōmen" ("name"). The core idea is the gap between name and reality — something that carries a label without the substance behind it. Finance adds a related sense: a nominal value is the face figure, before adjusting for inflation.

adjective · /NOM-uh-nul/
Existing in name only, or so small as to be merely a token.
What it names
Use it when a title or figure is real on paper but not in substance — the nominal head who holds no power, or a nominal fee charged just to make it official.
Example
She was the nominal chair, but her deputy ran every meeting and made every call.
Related idea
Compare ostensible: the ostensible reason is the one openly given, perhaps masking another, while the nominal title is openly acknowledged as empty of real substance.
adjective · /NOM-uh-nul/
Performing as expected; within normal operating limits.
What it names
the engineering and spaceflight sense — “all systems nominal,” everything running to spec
Example
Mission control confirmed that all readings were nominal.
Related idea
Almost the reverse of “in name only”: here nominal means matching the named, planned value exactly. In economics it takes yet another sense — a figure stated in current money, before adjusting for inflation.