as in corruptible
open to improper influence and especially bribery
that judge is known for being venal and easily bought
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Examples of venal in a Sentence
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And who can blame him, given the appalling backstory of the Atherton-Yoo family, compared with the merely venal sins of Scorsese’s fraudster?
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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
See all Example Sentences for venal 
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
See all Example Sentences for venal
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.
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“Venal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/venal. Accessed 10 Sep. 2024.
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