This is the 7796th most frequent Japanese word.
名目
"Nominal" or "pretext; title; name."
In this sentence, '名目' signifies an 'ostensible title or capacity' under which someone's role is defined. It emphasizes the formal designation rather than actual functionality.
名目上、彼はこのプロジェクトのリーダーです。
Nominally, he is the leader of this project.
Here, '名目' is used to indicate a 'pretext or reason' given for an action, often suggesting a less direct or ulterior motive.
彼は友人を訪問する名目で旅行しました。
He traveled under the pretext of visiting a friend.
In this instance, '名目' conveys the idea of something existing 'in name only' without substantive implementation or reality.