Synonyms of venial

venial

adjective

ˈvē-nē-əl 

as in pardonable

worthy of forgiveness

taking the restaurant's menu as a souvenir seems like a venial offense

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pardonable
• excusable
• forgivable
• justifiable
• petty
• minor
• harmless
• allowable
• ignorable
• remissible
• redeemable
• remittable
• condonable
• permissible
• unimportant
• trivial
• trifling
• insignificant
• tolerable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• mortal
• criminal
• unjustifiable
• inexcusable
• evil
• indefensible
• unpardonable
• heinous
• abominable
• unforgivable
• sinful
• vile
• wicked
• damning

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of venial

But logging off—and returning to the sphere in which people are apt to forgive one another for venial affronts—is no longer an option. — Becca Rothfeld, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2022

And that loyalty has been reciprocated with job security and forgiveness of venial sins. — cleveland, 12 Dec. 2021

The list is long of international companies, and even celebrities, who’ve groveled in apology for sins as venial as recognizing Taiwan. — Kevin T. Dugan, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2021

This is, of course, the day-to-day venial reality for attorneys who don’t prosecute serial killers, and Saul can always extrapolate small crimes into tall tales. — Darren Franich, EW.com, 18 June 2020

Taibbi favors a cynical style evenly applied across the universe of real and perceived journalistic trespasses, challenging a reader to sort mortal from venial. — Ann Marie Lipinski, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019

His presence was more difficult to justify than the venial offenses of Spygate or Deflategate. — BostonGlobe.com, 22 Sep. 2019