nominalised

Nominalised, in linguistic terms, refers to the result of nominalisation: turning a word—typically a verb or an adjective—into a noun or noun-like expression. A word that has undergone nominalisation is described as nominalised. In English, nominalisation is commonly formed by suffixation (for example, attach -ment to develop -> development, -tion/-sion to explain -> explanation or decision, -ance/-ence to important -> importance, existence, or -ness to happy -> happiness) and by other processes such as conversion, where a word is used as a noun without a formal change in form (the run, the running). Nominalisation can also create noun phrases from clauses, for example, the clause That he left early can be expressed as his leaving early, or the fact that he left early as his leaving early.

In linguistic analysis, nominalisation allows speakers to refer to concepts, events, or states rather than to agents performing actions. It often yields a more abstract or formal tone and is common in academic, legal, and technical registers. Nominalised forms can serve as subjects, objects, or complements and can influence argument structure and emphasis. Some nominalisations retain a transparent link to the original verb’s meaning, while others become more abstract or specialised in sense.

The concept is contrasted with verbal and adjectival forms and is a central topic in morphology, syntax, and semantics. English exhibits productive mechanisms for nominalisation, enabling speakers to coin new nouns from verbs and adjectives as needed.