as in corruptible
open to improper influence and especially bribery
that judge is known for being venal and easily bought
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Recent Examples of venal
Bill Nighy plays a venal spycraft master who also is surprisingly good at computer coding.
—
Mark Kennedy,
Boston Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
Even though a lot of what happens in the book borders on the ridiculous because of the behavior of narcissistic selfish venal individuals.
—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Dec. 2025
One argued that what Janis took to be a herd mentality might just as well be seen as deliberate, venal compliance.
—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Berger and Nina Gold cast Tilda Swinton as Cynthia Blithe, the private investigator who tracks him, laser like, to China, with Fala Chen playing Dao Ming, the savvy hostess who sees something behind Doyle’s desperate tactics, and Alex Jennings as an expat of the most venal variety.
—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for venal
Mark Kennedy,
Boston Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
Even though a lot of what happens in the book borders on the ridiculous because of the behavior of narcissistic selfish venal individuals.
—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Dec. 2025
One argued that what Janis took to be a herd mentality might just as well be seen as deliberate, venal compliance.
—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Berger and Nina Gold cast Tilda Swinton as Cynthia Blithe, the private investigator who tracks him, laser like, to China, with Fala Chen playing Dao Ming, the savvy hostess who sees something behind Doyle’s desperate tactics, and Alex Jennings as an expat of the most venal variety.
—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for venal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for venal
Adjective
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Beef’s whole thing is finding the weak, corruptible center of all its characters, and Isaac jumps into that project with enthusiasm.
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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.
Adjective
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Johnson County He was arrested last August on charges of abuse of office and corrupt influence.
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The kidnappings have been linked to run-ins with drug cartels and corrupt government officials, while there have also been cases involving young women who worked at the country’s many factories.
Cite this Entry
“Venal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/venal. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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