Nominatus

Nominatus is a Latin term formed as the perfect passive participle of nominare, meaning named or designated. As an adjective it describes someone who has been named for a role, office, or task, and in Latin texts it can also be used substantively as “the named one” or “the nominee.” The form reflects gender and number variations common to Latin: nominatus (masculine singular), nominata (neuter or feminine plural in some constructions), and related forms for other genders.

In classical and medieval Latin, nominatus frequently appears in official or legal contexts to indicate a person designated by a higher authority for a position, duty, or benefit. It is often contrasted with other terms that express different stages of appointment, such as electus (elect) or designatus (designated), though the exact phrasing varies across authors and periods. The use of nominatus thus signals recognition of a person’s name being set in relation to a specific office or obligation.

Ecclesiastical Latin also employs nominatus in records of papal, episcopal, or territorial appointments, where individuals are named in preparation for installation or assignment. In scholarly editions of Latin documents, nominatus is encountered as a standard descriptor in phrases describing who has been named or nominated.

In modern English-language scholarship, nominatus is primarily encountered in discussions of Latin usage rather than as a living term. Its semantic core—being named or designated for a position—underpins related English derivatives such as nominate, nomination, and nominee, all tracing back to the same Latin root.