Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of venal Often in host countries with poor governance a gray economy emerges where undocumented migrants must bribe venal officials for documentation to live or work. Charlie Campbell, Time, 1 Aug. 2025 Fort Lauderdale Commissioner John Herbst is right to be outraged with Mayor Dean Trantalis and Commissioner Steve Glassman for their venal appeasement of the Beckham Group and concession of city land at Fort Lauderdale Stadium at the cost of our park in District 1. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 7 July 2025 In an age when Congress is increasingly a repository for publicity-seeking fools and venal pocket-liners rather than legislators, the Democratic voters of New York’s 16th congressional district have a rare opportunity to exchange a clown and antisemite for a more standard-issue liberal. The Editors, National Review, 25 June 2024 He was concerned with how a great power handles multiple internal crises—the faltering of the institutions of domestic order, the craftiness of unmoored and venal politicians, the first tremors of systemic illegitimacy. Charles King, Foreign Affairs, 30 June 2020 See All Example Sentences for venal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for venal
Adjective
  • From fragmented records to corruptible datasets and the general noise across social media, agentic systems are facing a trust and truth crisis at the most fundamental level.
    Lawrence Wintermeyer, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Iran prefers weak allies over strong ones, and corrupt and corruptible governments over ones that respond to their citizens’ needs.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The technology included corrupt automatic shuffling machines that read cards and predicted which player had the best hand.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Porter’s story was viewed largely as a cautionary tale of a corrupt athlete… until this week, when the FBI dropped news of a much wider NBA betting scandal that shed light on Porter’s possible motivations.
    Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Venal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/venal. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on venal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!