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 And as if a constant stream of social media vitriol wasn’t enough of an insult to the venerable lawns, they are subjected to constant meteorological insults as well. Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Sep. 2025 Gucci is delving further into the filmmaking world as the venerable house premieres a short film starring Demi Moore and a cast of Hollywood stars. Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025 At this moment, however, the CBS News veteran has several ambitious assignments for the venerable newsmagazine up in the air. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025 As for buildings, so for venerable films. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for venerable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for venerable
Adjective
  • They have been joined by some of Nepal’s most venerated organizations, including the Federation of Nepali Journalists, which had been among the first to oppose the social-media ban that had sparked the protests.
    Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
  • The place is busy every night thanks to the elevated bar food of Chef Roxie (Amaka Okafor), and flush from that success, Jake has his eyes on taking over a venerated lounge called the Pool Room.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Proximity to several universities has filled the area with used book stores, cheap restaurants, and coffee shops that were ancient before anyone ever heard of Starbucks.
    Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Specifically, they have been designed to explore lava tubes or underground tunnels formed by ancient volcanic activity that may exist on the moon.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The names were common, but for good reason, as the Hasmonean priestly family was so revered.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Gus Van Sant, the revered director of films such as Good Will Hunting and Milk, will be honored later this fall with the Precious Gem Award at the Miami Film Festival GEMS event.
    Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • People only 21 years or older are allowed to shop at Canna Bloom.
    Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Brake gently as needed - Brake normally if the vehicle has anti-lock brakes and pump brakes gently if in an older vehicle.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The series boasted respectable special effects, cool early CGI spaceship design, and old-fashioned space escapades.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2025
  • When Sotheby’s rolled out a selection of Grateful Dead memorabilia in October 2021, a mango yellow T-shirt made in 1967 and featuring the band’s logo was expected to rake in a respectable $6,000 to $8,000.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • This 30+ vendor antique mall, located 10 minutes away in Stuarts Draft, Virginia, features an eclectic mix of antiques, collectibles, and vintage clothing.
    Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2025
  • La Chic Boutique Sandpoint has a tempting variety of antique stores and vintage shops, and both Evans and Caso mention one in particular.
    Laura Beausire, Travel + Leisure, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Bettany played English poet and writer Geoffrey Chaucer in the medieval action-comedy, which starred Ledger as William Thatcher, a peasant squire, fueled by his desire for food and glory, who forges a new identity for himself as a knight when his master dies.
    Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The movie was set in medieval times, and blended action, comedy and modern pop culture.
    Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Venerable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/venerable. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on venerable

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!