nom·i·nal /'nä-mən-əl/ adj
1: existing or being something in name or form but usu. not in reality
defenses...raised by the corporation as nominal defendant in a derivative suit — R. C. Clark
2: being so small or trivial as to be a mere token
charging a nominal fee
3 of a rate of interest
a: equal to the annual rate of simple interest that would obtain if interest were not compounded when in fact it is compounded and paid for periods of less than a year
b: equal to the percentage by which a repaid loan exceeds the principal borrowed with no adjustment made for inflation compare effective 4
nom·i·nal·ly adv
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.