as in pardonable
worthy of forgiveness
taking the restaurant's menu as a souvenir seems like a venial offense
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of venial
But logging off—and returning to the sphere in which people are apt to forgive one another for venial affronts—is no longer an option.
—
Becca Rothfeld,
The New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2022
And that loyalty has been reciprocated with job security and forgiveness of venial sins.
—
cleveland,
12 Dec. 2021
The list is long of international companies, and even celebrities, who’ve groveled in apology for sins as venial as recognizing Taiwan.
—
Kevin T. Dugan,
Fortune,
8 Sep. 2021
This would have encouraged him at sensitive ages and times in his life to seriously think about the distinctions between sins of omission and sins of commission, between white lies and perjury, between venial and mortal sins, and the relationship between knowledge, intention, and guilt.
—
Michael Brendan Dougherty,
National Review,
5 Mar. 2021
This is, of course, the day-to-day venial reality for attorneys who don’t prosecute serial killers, and Saul can always extrapolate small crimes into tall tales.
—
Darren Franich,
EW.com,
18 June 2020
Taibbi favors a cynical style evenly applied across the universe of real and perceived journalistic trespasses, challenging a reader to sort mortal from venial.
—
Ann Marie Lipinski,
Washington Post,
18 Oct. 2019
His presence was more difficult to justify than the venial offenses of Spygate or Deflategate.
—
BostonGlobe.com,
22 Sep. 2019
Becca Rothfeld,
The New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2022
And that loyalty has been reciprocated with job security and forgiveness of venial sins.
—
cleveland,
12 Dec. 2021
The list is long of international companies, and even celebrities, who’ve groveled in apology for sins as venial as recognizing Taiwan.
—
Kevin T. Dugan,
Fortune,
8 Sep. 2021
This would have encouraged him at sensitive ages and times in his life to seriously think about the distinctions between sins of omission and sins of commission, between white lies and perjury, between venial and mortal sins, and the relationship between knowledge, intention, and guilt.
—
Michael Brendan Dougherty,
National Review,
5 Mar. 2021
This is, of course, the day-to-day venial reality for attorneys who don’t prosecute serial killers, and Saul can always extrapolate small crimes into tall tales.
—
Darren Franich,
EW.com,
18 June 2020
Taibbi favors a cynical style evenly applied across the universe of real and perceived journalistic trespasses, challenging a reader to sort mortal from venial.
—
Ann Marie Lipinski,
Washington Post,
18 Oct. 2019
His presence was more difficult to justify than the venial offenses of Spygate or Deflategate.
—
BostonGlobe.com,
22 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for venial
Adjective
-
But in this instance, the breach is entirely pardonable, because these two men, Jun and Arthur, have just gotten married.
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All this is to say that any excesses of enthusiasm for Friday (and Thursday) might seem pardonable, although each day reached the thermal pinnacle of the 80s.
Adjective
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Now, to not score in five of six innings against six members of the bullpen with the second-worst ERA in the major leagues was not so excusable.
-
The time when teachers gain popularity points for airing local team’s games, and kindly bosses understand that Thursday is an excusable sick day.
Adjective
-
The bill would authorize a pilot program to offer grants and forgivable loans to address home repair needs and health hazards.
-
Through this program, the City of Charlotte offers deferred and forgivable loan options designed to make purchasing your first home more accessible.
Adjective
-
There was a lot of justifiable angst leading into this summer’s tournament, from ticket prices to politics to something as simple as the vibes feeling deeply off.
-
While some of the public comments veer into conspiracy-territory, the vast majority surveyed by Futurism express some justifiable anxiety at the idea of a for-profit tech giant spearheading a project like this.
Cite this Entry
“Venial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/venial. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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