/ˈviːnəl/
OriginFrom Latin vēna (“vein”) + -al.
- archaic, rareVenous; pertaining to veins.
- archaicFor sale; available for purchase.
“Because lips libertine and and venal had murmured such words to him, he believed but little in the candour of hers; […].”
- Of a position, privilege etc.: available for purchase rather than assigned on merit.
“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.”
- Capable of being bought (of a person); willing to take bribes.
- Corrupt, mercenary.
“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 ”
Formsmore venal(comparative) · most venal(superlative)