The word “nominal” comes from the Latin “nomen,” meaning “name,” and in this example, means “in name only” – that is, a token amount of money, compared to what the carver could charge for the toys. Nominal means small in effect or quantity, a trifling amount, a token gesture.

Example:  “I had asked him to clean his room before I returned, but he only made a nominal effort at picking up his clothes, and the room was just as filthy as when I left.”