The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Nomination \Nom`i*na"tion\, n. [L. nominatio: cf. F.
   nomination.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. The act of naming or nominating; designation of a person
      as a candidate for office; the power of nominating; the
      state of being nominated; as, to win the nomination.
      [1913 Webster]

            The nomination of persons to places being . . . a
            flower of his crown, he would reserve to himself.
                                                  --Clarendon.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. The denomination, or name. [Obs.] --Bp. Pearson.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

nomination
    n 1: the act of officially naming a candidate; "the Republican
         nomination for Governor"
    2: the condition of having been proposed as a suitable candidate
       for appointment or election; "there was keen competition for
       the nomination"; "his nomination was hotly protested"
    3: an address (usually at a political convention) proposing the
       name of a candidate to run for election; "the nomination was
       brief and to the point" [syn: nominating speech,
       nominating address, nomination]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

32 Moby Thesaurus words for "nomination":
   acceptance speech, apostolic orders, appointment, assignment,
   calling, canonization, caucus nomination, conferment, consecration,
   designation, direct nomination, election, holy orders, induction,
   installation, institution, investiture, major orders, minor orders,
   naming, ordainment, orders, ordination, petition nomination,
   posting, preferment, presentation, proposal, reading in, selection,
   tabbing, transferral



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

NOMINATION, This word has several significations. 1. An appointment; as, I
nominate A B, executor of this my last will. 2. A proposition; the word
nominate is used in this sense in the constitution of the United States,
art. 2, s. 2, the president "shall nominate, and by and with the consent of
the senate, shall appoint ambassadors," &c.