nominals

Meanings

1. 1nounpluraltechnical

   In grammar, words or groups of words that work like nouns in a sentence, including nouns, pronouns and noun phrases.

   Grammar: Plural form of the noun nominal; used in linguistics.

   Patterns

   • nominals in a sentence

   In the sentence, both the subject and the object are nominals.

   Linguists group nouns, pronouns and noun phrases together as nominals.

   Some languages mark nominals with case endings.

2. 2nounusually pluralBritishbusiness

   In British accounting, the nominal ledger accounts that record a company's income, costs and assets by category.

   Grammar: Usually plural in British business speech: she works on the nominals.

   Patterns

   • do the nominals
   • post to the nominals

   The bookkeeper spends Fridays updating the nominals.

   Errors in the nominals delayed the year-end report.

   The accountant reviewed the nominals before preparing the tax return.

Word forms

Common combinations

complex nominals

Academic writing relies on complex nominals.

check the nominals

Please check the nominals before the audit.

update the nominals

She updates the nominals each month.

nominals and verbs

Students sort words into nominals and verbs.

post to the nominals

Invoices are posted to the nominals daily.

Synonyms and how they differ

noun phrases

Noun phrases are a more specific grammar term, while nominals is a broader label including single nouns and pronouns.

substantives

Substantives is an older grammar word for nouns and noun-like words and sounds more traditional.

ledger accounts

Ledger accounts is the plain description of the accounting sense of nominals.

Word family

nominal adjective

existing in name only, or very small in amount

nominate verb

to propose someone for a position

nominalise verb

to turn a verb or adjective into a noun

nominalisation noun

the result of making a noun from another word class

Commonly confused: nominals or nominees?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “nominals”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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