They nominally recognized the suzerainty of caliphs of Baghdad, who in reality had no temporal power within the state.

In practical terms, Odoacer was an increasingly independent rex Italia, nominally recognizing the Eastern Empire's suzerainty; Nepos retained claim to the Imperial title, but exercised no real power outside of Dalmatia.

In practical terms, Odoacer was an increasingly independent king, nominally recognizing the Eastern Emperor's suzerainty, with Nepos retaining a tenuous claim on the Imperial rank.

We often hear the teachers of all creeds lamenting the difficulty of keeping up in the minds of believers a lively apprehension of the truth which they nominally recognise, so that it may penetrate the feelings, and acquire a real mastery over the conduct.

After the death of Ramesses XI, his successor Smendes ruled from the city of Tanis in the north, while the High Priests of Amun at Thebes had effective rule of the south of the country, whilst still nominally recognizing Smendes as king.

Almanzor actually had all power in his hands but nominally recognized the suzerainty of the caliph.

Matej Ninoslav had to only nominally recognize Hungarian rule and kept his possessions abroad, in Slavonia.

By 1380, the Byzantine Empire consisted of the capital Constantinople and a few other isolated exclaves, which only nominally recognized the Emperor as their lord.

The Slovenian Alliance secretly swore allegiance to the government-in-exile of King Peter II and nominally recognized the authority of Chetnik leader Draža Mihailović, but actually hampered the efforts of Karel Novak, Mihailović's representative in Slovenia, to set up a local Chetnik organization.

The Nemanjić kings adopted it and applied it to themselves in its literal meaning to stress their independence from Byzantium, whose supreme suzerainty they nominally recognized.