venal

See also: vénal

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈviːnəl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːnəl

Etymology 1

From Latin vēna (“vein”) +‎ -al.

Adjective

venal (comparative more venal, superlative most venal)

1. (rare, archaic) Venous; pertaining to veins.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French vénal, from Old French venel, from Latin vēnālis (“for sale”), from vēnum (“something for sale”); compare English vend.

Adjective

venal (comparative more venal, superlative most venal)

1. (archaic) For sale; available for purchase.

   Synonym: purchasable

2. Of a position, privilege etc.: available for purchase rather than assigned on merit.
   • 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 140:

     Thus, regimental commands in the army were – as with the judiciary or the financial bureaucracy – venal posts, which were purchased, bequeathed and sold among the nobility.

3. Capable of being bought (of a person); willing to take bribes.

   Synonym: crooked

   Antonyms: straight, honest, uncorrupt

4. (of behaviour etc.) Corrupt, mercenary.
   • 1785, The Times, 9 Feb 1785, page 1, column C:

     Though there is a disposition in mankind, to declaim against the corruption and peculation of the present times, as being more venal than formerly; yet, if we look back to different periods, we shall find statesmen and politicians, as selfish and corrupt, […] as those who have lately figured on the political stage.

Usage notes

Venal behavior (bribery/corruption) is not to be confused with venial behavior (mildly wrong behavior).

Related terms

• venality (noun)
• venally (adverb)

Translations

for sale, available for a price

Bulgarian: продажен (bg) (prodažen) Catalan: venal (ca) Czech: prodejný Finnish: myytävänä French: vénal (fr) Greek: παραδόπιστος (el) (paradópistos), αργυρώνητος (el) (argyrónitos), εξαγοράσιμος (el) (exagorásimos) Latin: vēnālis, nummarius Spanish: venal (es) Swedish: fal (sv)

willing to take bribes

Bulgarian: подкупен (bg) (podkupen) Czech: prodejný, úplatný Dutch: omkoopbaar (nl) Finnish: lahjottavissa oleva, korruptoitunut (fi) French: vénal (fr) Georgian: ანგარებიანი (angarebiani), მოსყიდული (mosq̇iduli), მექრთამე (mekrtame), დაქრთამული (dakrtamuli) German: käuflich (de) Greek: αργυρώνητος (el) (argyrónitos), δωροδοκούμενος (dorodokoúmenos) Latin: venalis, venale Polish: sprzedajny (pl), przekupny (pl) Russian: прода́жный (ru) (prodážnyj) Spanish: venal (es) Swedish: mutbar (sv), besticklig (sv)

corrupt, mercenary

Bulgarian: користен (bg) (koristen) Czech: prodejný, úplatný, zkažený (cs) French: vénal (fr) Georgian: კორუმპირებული (ḳorumṗirebuli) Greek: παραδόπιστος (el) (paradópistos), αργυρώνητος (el) (argyrónitos) Italian: venale (it) Latin: venalis, venale, nummarius, nummaria, nummarium Polish: prostytutka (pl) Spanish: venal (es) Swedish: korrumperad (sv), korrupt (sv)

Anagrams

• Alven, Levan, elvan, levan, navel

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [bəˈnal]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [vəˈnal]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [veˈnal]

Etymology 1

From vena +‎ -al.

Adjective

venal m or f (masculine and feminine plural venals)

1. venal, venous

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin vēnālis (“for sale”), from vēnum (“something for sale”).

Adjective

venal m or f (masculine and feminine plural venals)

1. for sale, sellable
2. venal (willing to take bribes)

   Synonym: subornable

Further reading

• “venal”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “venal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “venal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “venal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.