v. t. (Grammar, Linguistics) To convert into a noun;
In a sentence of the form:
“That Kennedy would have been a great president if he had not been assassinated is one of the enduring myths of the Camelot conceit.”
the sentence “Kennedy would have been a great president if he had not been assassinated” has been
a. [ L. nominativus belonging to a name, nominative. ] (Gram.) Giving a name; naming; designating; -- said of that case or form of a noun which stands as the subject of a finite verb. --
adv. In the manner of a nominative; as a nominative. [ 1913 Webster ]