Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective venerable differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of venerable are ancient, antiquated, antique, archaic, obsolete, and old. While all these words mean "having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past," venerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age.

the family's venerable patriarch

When might ancient be a better fit than venerable?

While in some cases nearly identical to venerable, ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past.

ancient accounts of dragons

In what contexts can antiquated take the place of venerable?

The synonyms antiquated and venerable are sometimes interchangeable, but antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time.

antiquated teaching methods

When is antique a more appropriate choice than venerable?

The meanings of antique and venerable largely overlap; however, antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time.

collected antique Chippendale furniture

When would archaic be a good substitute for venerable?

While the synonyms archaic and venerable are close in meaning, archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time.

the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period

Where would obsolete be a reasonable alternative to venerable?

In some situations, the words obsolete and venerable are roughly equivalent. However, obsolete may apply to something regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence.

a computer that makes earlier models obsolete

When could old be used to replace venerable?

The words old and venerable can be used in similar contexts, but old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence.

old houses
an old sweater of mine

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 venerable Bill Owens, executive producer of the venerable Sunday night news magazine, suggested the show’s editorial independence has been whittled away as corporate parent Paramount seeks to make peace with Trump. Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025 Owens is only the third executive producer in the history of the venerable CBS newsmagazine, having taken over the program in 2019. Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025 Samsung Electronics is making a major play in the U.K. virtual production space, unveiling a partnership with the venerable Twickenham Film Studios and VP specialists Quite Brilliant to create one of the largest permanent LED display sound stages in Britain. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Apr. 2025 In addition to his extensive feature career, Canadian-Bulgarian filmmaker Ted Kotcheff worked on NBC’s venerable crime drama Law & Order’ SVU for its first 13 seasons as a producing director. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for venerable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for venerable
Adjective
  • The photo highlights the relative youth of human civilization by showing a 2,500-year-old temple that is ancient by the yardstick of human lives, alongside the 4.5 billion-year-old disk of Earth's moon, which has watched over humanity since our ancestors emerged from the oceans.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 May 2025
  • Drive around the island and catch glimpses of past civilizations: ancient fig trees propped up by wooden crutches; centuries-old windmills that look like giant antique flyswatters; stone walls built by the Moors during the Middle Ages that somehow still look new.
    Julia Chaplin, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • Most Popular Papal Names Historically, popes have often chosen names that reflect continuity with revered predecessors.
    Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
  • Besides, Hewitt had previously produced the revered Walter Cronkite news show as well as the riveting Kennedy-Nixon debate.
    Peter Bart, Deadline, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Of course, the new standard will be backward-compatible with Wi-Fi 6 devices, as well as older Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) ones.
    Iyaz Akhtar, PC Magazine, 13 May 2025
  • Applicants must be 6 years or older as of the beginning of Oct. 4 to participate.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • The ensemble pic led by Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan fell a respectable 55 percent from its opening weekend, compared to an average decline of 57 percent for a title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
    Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 11 May 2025
  • These are respectable numbers for a half-ton pickup.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • So when an overconfident Dedra enters the antique shop on her own to arrest Luthen, and Luthen takes advantage of this to attempt suicide so he can’t be forced to turn on his allies, Kleya is given an impossible but necessary task.
    Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025
  • The event will feature antique cars, food trucks and artisan merchandise.such as handmade pillows, bath items, jewelry, glassware and handmade cards.
    Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • After being updated by Patel, the script combines medieval knights with feudal India.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 May 2025
  • The tradition of the funeral procession actually dates back to Ancient Egypt (maybe even earlier!), and spans throughout the Greco-Roman empire, the medieval age, the Renaissance, and continues to modern day.
    Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 10 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Venerable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/venerable. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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