Nominally means officially or in name only, but not really in practice or reality. When something exists nominally, the title or label is there, but the substance behind it might be weak, absent, or just for show.

A student might be nominally the captain of a team because their name appears on the roster, but if they never show up to practice or help make decisions, they're captain in name only. A country might have a nominally democratic government, meaning it calls itself a democracy and holds elections, but if citizens can't actually choose their leaders freely, the democracy is nominal rather than real.

Something nominal is often symbolic or minimal. You might pay a nominal fee of one dollar to join a club: technically there's a fee, but it's so small it barely counts. Or a king might be the nominal ruler of a country even though an elected parliament actually runs everything.

When you hear that someone is nominally in charge, or that two groups are nominally allies, pay attention. It often signals a gap between what things are called and what they actually are.