venal

adjective

ve·​nal ˈvē-nᵊl How to pronounce venal (audio)
1
: capable of being bought or obtained for money or other valuable consideration : purchasable
especially : open to corrupt influence and especially bribery : mercenary
a venal legislator
2
: originating in, characterized by, or associated with corrupt bribery
a venal arrangement with the police
venality noun
venally adverb

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What's the difference between venal and venial?

If you are given the choice between acts that are venal and those that are venial, go for the venial. Although the two words look and sound alike, they have very different meanings and histories. Venal demonstrates the adage that anything can be had if the price is high enough and the morals are low enough. That word originated with the Latin venum, which simply referred to something that was sold or for sale. Some of those transactions must have been rather shady because by the mid-1600s, venal had gained the sense of corruption it carries today. Venial sins, on the other hand, are pardonable, the kind that show that everyone makes mistakes sometimes. That forgiving term descends from venia, Latin for "favor," "indulgence," or "pardon."

Examples of venal in a Sentence

that judge is known for being venal and easily bought
Recent Examples on the Web But Safdie eschews the sleazy reality TV producer stereotype, creating a man who is both pitiful and venal. EW.com, 6 Nov. 2023 And who can blame him, given the appalling backstory of the Atherton-Yoo family, compared with the merely venal sins of Scorsese’s fraudster? Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023 Under the state propaganda campaign, the Kremlin has maintained high support for Putin and for the war in Ukraine that now defines his presidency, portraying the conflict as a battle for Russia’s survival against a venal West determined to dismember the country and gobble up its resources. Natalia Abbakumova, Washington Post, 8 Dec. 2023 Its politicians are in a venal class of their own, more unaccountable than any others in the eurozone. Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 3 Dec. 2023 Others are more venal, if extremely aggravating to journalists. Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2023 The state apparatus continues to focus on extractive industries, which venal politicians can easily steal from. Nicolas Niarchos, The New York Review of Books, 16 Nov. 2023 Many simply believed that this venal side to their politics could be controlled and suppressed in the service of other political priorities. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 26 Oct. 2023 And who are/is the mysterious (but obviously venal) Adams Creek Associates? Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'venal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin vēnālis "that may be bought, for sale," from *vēnus "sale" (attested only in accusative vēnum and dative vēnō, vēnuī; akin to Greek ônos "price," Sanskrit vasna- "price, value") + -ālis -al entry 1

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of venal was in 1652

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Cite this Entry

“Venal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/venal. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

venal

adjective
ve·​nal ˈvēn-ᵊl How to pronounce venal (audio)
1
: willing to take bribes
venal officials
2
: influenced by bribery : corrupt
venal conduct
venality noun
venally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on venal

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