What does nominalism assert about universals?

Nominalism asserts that universals, such as concepts or categories that can apply to multiple things (like "redness" for a red apple and a red car), do not have an independent and objective existence outside of human thought. Instead, nominalists argue that universals are essentially mental constructs or labels that we use to categorize and make sense of individual experiences and objects in the world. This perspective emphasizes that what we refer to as "universals" are just names or terms that help us communicate and think about similarities among different entities, and they do not exist as separate or distinct entities in reality. Thus, nominalism sees universals as without true existence beyond our conceptual frameworks, aligning with the selected answer about universals being merely mental concepts.