Meanings
venal1
comparative more venal · superlative most venal
- archaicrareVenous; pertaining to veins.
venal2
comparative more venal · superlative most venal
- 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; […].
1886, Gustave Flaubert, chapter XII, in Eleanor Marx-Aveling, transl., Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners […], London: Vizetelly & Co., […], →OCLC, part II, page 210Synonyms: purchasable
- 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.
2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 140 - Corrupt, mercenary.
1 more example
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.
1785, The Times, 9 Feb 1785, page 1, column C
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveFor sale; available for purchase.
adjectiveCapable of being bought (of a person); willing to take bribes.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivecapable of being corrupted
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
venal · adjective
- Latinvēna“vein”
- Englishvenal
From Latin vēna (“vein”) + -al.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →venal · adjective
- Latinvēnālis“for sale”
- Old Frenchvenel
- Frenchvénal
- Englishvenal
Borrowed from French vénal, from Old French venel, from Latin vēnālis (“for sale”), from vēnum (“something for sale”); compare English vend.
More words from French, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian продажен, подкупен
- продажен (prodažen)for sale, available for a price
- подкупен (podkupen)willing to take bribes
- користен (koristen)corrupt, mercenary
Catalan venal
- venalfor sale, available for a price
Czech prodejný, prodejný
- prodejnýfor sale, available for a price
- prodejnýwilling to take bribes
- úplatnýwilling to take bribes
- prodejnýcorrupt, mercenary
- úplatnýcorrupt, mercenary
- zkaženýcorrupt, mercenary
Dutch omkoopbaar
- omkoopbaarwilling to take bribes
Finnish myytävänä, lahjottavissa oleva
- myytävänäfor sale, available for a price
- lahjottavissa olevawilling to take bribes
- korruptoitunutwilling to take bribes
French vénal, vénal
- vénalfor sale, available for a price
- vénalwilling to take bribes
- vénalcorrupt, mercenary
German käuflich, erwerbbar
- käuflichfor sale, available for a price
- erwerbbarfor sale, available for a price
- feilgebotenfor sale, available for a price
- käuflichwilling to take bribes
- feilwilling to take bribes
- korruptwilling to take bribes
- bestechlichwilling to take bribes
- korruptcorrupt, mercenary
- verkommencorrupt, mercenary
- verderbtcorrupt, mercenary
Greek παραδόπιστος, αργυρώνητος
- παραδόπιστος (paradópistos)for sale, available for a price
- αργυρώνητος (argyrónitos)for sale, available for a price
- εξαγοράσιμος (exagorásimos)for sale, available for a price
- αργυρώνητος (argyrónitos)willing to take bribes
- δωροδοκούμενος (dorodokoúmenos)willing to take bribes
- παραδόπιστος (paradópistos)corrupt, mercenary
- αργυρώνητος (argyrónitos)corrupt, mercenary
Italian venale
- venalecorrupt, mercenary
Latin vēnālis, nummarius
- vēnālisfor sale, available for a price
- nummariusfor sale, available for a price
- venaliswilling to take bribes
- venalewilling to take bribes
- venaliscorrupt, mercenary
- venalecorrupt, mercenary
- nummariuscorrupt, mercenary
- nummariacorrupt, mercenary
- nummariumcorrupt, mercenary
Polish na sprzedaż, przekupny
- na sprzedażfor sale, available for a price
- przekupnywilling to take bribes
- sprzedajnywilling to take bribes
- skorumpowanycorrupt, mercenary
Russian продажный, прода́жный
- продажный (prodažnyj)for sale, available for a price
- прода́жный (prodážnyj)willing to take bribes
Spanish venal, venal
- venalfor sale, available for a price
- venalwilling to take bribes
- venalcorrupt, mercenary
Swedish fal, mutbar
- falfor sale, available for a price
- mutbarwilling to take bribes
- bestickligwilling to take bribes
- korrumperadcorrupt, mercenary
- korruptcorrupt, mercenary
Welsh prynadwy, prynadwy
- prynadwyfor sale, available for a price
- prynadwywilling to take bribes
- hybrynwilling to take bribes
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with venal
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
venal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/venal
“venal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/venal. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “venal,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/venal.
Source: venal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.