venal

== English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈviːnəl/ Rhymes: -iːnəl === Etymology 1 === From Latin vēna (“vein”) +‎ -al. ==== Adjective ==== venal (comparative more venal, superlative most venal) (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) (archaic) For sale; available for purchase. Synonym: purchasable Of a position, privilege etc.: available for purchase rather than assigned on merit. Capable of being bought (of a person); willing to take bribes. Synonym: crooked Antonyms: straight, honest, uncorrupt (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 ===== ===== Translations ===== === Anagrams === Alven, Levan, elvan, levan, navel == Catalan == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Northern, Central) [bəˈnal] IPA(key): (Balearic) [vəˈnal] IPA(key): (Valencia) [veˈnal] IPA(key): (Northwestern) [beˈnal] === Etymology 1 === From vena +‎ -al. ==== Adjective ==== venal m or f (masculine and feminine plural venals) 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) for sale, sellable 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, 2026 “venal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “venal”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan) == Portuguese == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin vēnālis. === Pronunciation === Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw Hyphenation: ven‧nal === Adjective === venal m or f (plural venais, not comparable) (anatomy) venal, venous (pertaining to veins) Synonym: venoso related to sales, commercial Synonym: comercial (figurative) easily bribable, capable of selling oneself; corrupt Synonym: corrupto ==== Derived terms ==== venalmente === References === === Further reading === “venal”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French vénal, from Latin venalis. By surface analysis, venă +‎ -al. === Adjective === venal m or n (feminine singular venală, masculine plural venali, feminine/neuter plural venale) venal, venous ==== Declension ==== == Spanish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /beˈnal/ [beˈnal] Rhymes: -al Syllabification: ve‧nal === Etymology 1 === From vena +‎ -al. ==== Adjective ==== venal m or f (masculine and feminine plural venales) venous Synonym: venoso === Etymology 2 === Borrowed from Latin vēnālis (“for sale”), from vēnum (“something for sale”). ==== Adjective ==== venal m or f (masculine and feminine plural venales) venal, corruptible for sale, sellable Synonym: vendible ===== Derived terms ===== === Further reading === “venal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025