venal
Someone with venal motives is corrupt and maybe a little evil. Nobody wants to be thought of as venal.
Venal actions include taking bribes, giving jobs to your friends, and cheating. Venal means about the same thing as "corrupt" or "corruptible." Venal people are considered sleazy and untrustworthy. They're often criminals. No one is perfect, and most of us have venal motives at some point.
Definitions of venal
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capable of being corrupted“a venal police officer”synonyms: bribable, corruptible, dishonest, purchasablecorruptlacking in integrity
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Commonly confused words
venal / venial
If someone is described as being venal, it means they are willing to do something corrupt, especially for a bribe. For example, if a judge is willing to take a bribe in exchange for reaching a certain verdict, then the judge would be described as venal. Venial, on the other hand, describes a very minor offense that can be easily forgiven. If your parent says "You can only have two cookies," and you take three, that minor disobedience is something that could be described as venial.
Word Family
Vocabulary lists containing venal
The Count of Monte Cristo
After being falsely imprisoned, Edmond Dantès escapes, disguises himself as the Count of Monte Cristo, and seeks revenge. Learn these words from the 1888 translation by George Routledge and Sons.