Nominalisation
Definition
The conversion of a verb or adjective into a noun form (e.g. 'make a determination' instead of 'determine'; 'give consideration to' instead of 'consider'). Widespread in legal and bureaucratic prose, nominalisation obscures agency and inflates sentence length.
- Definition
- Converting a verb or adjective into a noun form
- Example
- "Make a determination" instead of "determine"
- Effect
- Obscures agency, inflates sentence length
- Context
- Widespread in legal and bureaucratic prose
Common questions
Why does nominalisation matter for a forensic report's clarity?+
Turning "the analyst determined" into "a determination was made" hides who performed the action, and stacking several nominalisations in one sentence forces the reader to reconstruct what actually happened, which is exactly what plain-language reform in legal writing targets.
Is nominalisation always something to avoid?+
No, a nominalised term is sometimes the accepted technical name for a process or finding. Reform guidance targets its overuse in routine sentences where a direct verb would communicate the same action more clearly.
Related terms
- Archaism
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- Deliberate Vagueness
- Intentional use of imprecise language to leave interpretive flexibility or to allow political compromise. Terms like 'reasonable', 'material', 'promptly', and 'substantial' are...
- Idiolect
- The language variety specific to an individual, comprising their characteristic vocabulary, syntactic preferences, spelling habits, punctuation patterns, and discourse-level style. Authorship attribution...
- Passive Voice
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- Plain Language
- Writing that the intended reader can understand on first reading, without special training. Plain-language guidelines favour short sentences, active voice, everyday vocabulary,...