The rich get richer while the poor get poorer.
The injured were taken to the hospital.
I always root for the underdog.
The injured were taken to the hospital.
I always root for the underdog.
In each of these sentences, a word that typically describes something is instead standing alone as a noun. These are nominal adjectives—a fascinating grammatical feature that adds efficiency and elegance to English.
What Are Nominal Adjectives?
These special constructions allow adjectives to step into the role of nouns, creating concise expressions for entire groups or concepts.
Nominal adjectives are adjectives that function as nouns in a sentence. Rather than modifying another noun, they stand alone to represent an entire group or concept. Most nominal adjectives are preceded by the definite article "the" and can function as either the subject or object in a sentence.
The Transformation
The transformation is simple but powerful:
- Regular adjective: She is a wealthy person. (wealthy modifies person)
- Nominal adjective: She is one of the wealthy. (wealthy functions as a noun)
The Structure of Nominal Adjectives
Unlike regular adjectives that need nouns to modify, nominal adjectives have a distinctive pattern that signals their special function.
The most common structure for nominal adjectives in English is:
the + adjective
This construction typically refers to a group of people or things sharing the characteristic described by the adjective:
- the rich (= rich people)
- the young (= young people)
- the unemployed (= unemployed people)
- the dead (= dead people)
In these examples, we could add the word "people" after each adjective, but the nominal form is more concise and often more eloquent.
Types of Nominal Adjectives
Different categories of adjectives can function nominally, each creating specific types of references.
Group Categories
These refer to people sharing a characteristic and are almost always plural in meaning.
- The elderly need better healthcare options. (elderly people)
- The homeless face many challenges daily. (homeless people)
- The wealthy often donate to charity. (wealthy people)
Nationalities and Languages
These refer to people from specific countries or speakers of specific languages.
- The French are known for their cuisine. (French people)
- The Japanese have a rich cultural heritage. (Japanese people)
- She understands the Spanish perfectly. (the Spanish language)
Abstract Concepts
These refer to abstract qualities or concepts rather than groups of people.
- The impossible sometimes becomes possible.
- The unknown frightens many people.
- He strives for the sublime in his artwork.
Superlatives
These refer to the extreme end of a quality spectrum.
- Only the best will be selected for the team.
- We always hope for the best.
- This is the worst I've ever experienced.
Grammatical Functions
Nominal adjectives can serve various roles in sentences, just like regular nouns.
As Subjects
These begin sentences or clauses, performing the action.
- The brave deserve special recognition. (subject)
- The unexpected often happens. (subject)
- The innocent shouldn't suffer. (subject)
As Objects
These receive the action of verbs or follow prepositions.
- The government should support the unemployed. (direct object)
- She gives to the needy every month. (object of preposition)
- We must protect the vulnerable. (direct object)
Singular vs. Plural Usage
Most nominal adjectives represent groups and take plural verb forms, but some notable exceptions exist.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Most nominal adjectives referring to groups of people are plural in meaning and take plural verbs:
- The rich are becoming richer. (plural verb)
- The young have different priorities. (plural verb)
However, when referring to abstract concepts or non-countable entities, they take singular verbs:
- The unexpected is what makes life interesting. (singular verb)
- The sublime transcends ordinary beauty. (singular verb)
Comparison with Regular Adjectives
Understanding the distinction between adjectival and nominal functions clarifies this grammatical shift.
| Regular adjectives modify nouns: | The poor woman couldn't afford food. (modifies "woman") |
| Nominal adjectives become the noun: | We should help the poor. (functions as a noun) |
The context determines which function is being used.
Common Nominal Adjectives in Everyday Language
Certain nominal adjectives appear frequently in both formal and informal communication.
- People groups: the rich, the poor, the homeless, the elderly, the young
- Nationalities: the French, the Chinese, the British
- Physical states: the dead, the living, the wounded, the blind
- Abstract concepts: the unknown, the beautiful, the sublime
- Superlatives: the best, the worst, the most, the least
