venereal

ve·ne·re·al
V4E1N1E1R1E1A1L1
UK/vəˈnɪə.ɹɪ.əl/UK/vɪ-/US/vəˈnɪ.ɹi.əl/

adjective

Of or relating to the genitals or sexual intercourse.

“a venereal medicine”

Opposite
UncommonScrabble 11

Meanings

adjectivevenereal (not comparable)

alternative venereall

  1. not comparableOf or relating to the genitals or sexual intercourse.

    Wouldſt thou not haue ſome Bulchin from the herd / To phyſicke thee of this venereall itch?

    1637, Tho[mas] Heywood, “Ivpiter and Io”, in Pleasant Dialogues and Dramma’s, Selected out of Lucian, Erasmus, Textor, Ovid, &c. […], London: […] R. O[ulton] for R. H[earne], and are to be sold by Thomas Slater […], →OCLC, page 170
    3 more examples

    [B]ecauſe ſuch hot temperaments are prone to Venerie, hence the Poets feigned, that Mars lay with Venus; and withall to ſhew, how much ſouldiers are given to Venereall luſts; [...]

    1648, Alexander Ross, chapter XI, in Mystagogvs Poeticvs, or The Muses Interpreter: Explaining the Historicall Mysteries, and Mysticall Histories of the Ancient Greek and Latine Poets. […], 2nd edition, London: Printed by T. W. for Thomas Whitaker […], →OCLC, page 258

    Then ſwoll'n with pride into the ſnare I fell / Of fair, fallacious looks, venereal trains, / Softn'd with pleaſure and voluptuous life; [...]

    1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 37, lines 533–535

    And so, while husbands are worshiping at their boyhood shrines, being the lawyers, merchants, or masterminds their parents wanted them to be, their wives, even after fourteen years of marriage and two fine children produced and raised, are still on the search for love - which can come to them only from the centaurs, sileni, satyrs, and other concupiscent incubi of the rout of Pan [...] as in our popular, vanilla-frosted temples of the venereal goddess, under the make-up of the latest heroes of the screen.

    1968, Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, 2nd edition, London: Fontana Press, published 1993, page 12

    Synonyms: aphroditic, Cytherean

  2. not comparableOf a disease: sexually transmitted; of or relating to, or adapted to the cure of, a venereal disease.

    a venereal medicine

    5 more examples

    [...] I like not his countenance; I am afraid he labours of the venereall murre.

    1597, Don Richardo de Medico Campo [pseudonym; Richard Lichfield], The Trimming of Thomas Nashe Gentleman, London: […] [Edward Allde] for Philip Scarlet, →OCLC; republished as J[ohn] P[ayne] C[ollier], editor, The Trimming of Thomas Nashe Gentleman (Miscellaneous Tracts, Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I), [London: s.n.], 1870, →OCLC, page 7

    [...] Who can imagine that in a venereall ulcer, wherein there is corruption of the bone, there ſhould be two ſorts of ulcers ſpecifically differing? to wit, one in the fleſhy part, and another in the bone, the ſame humor cauſing both.

    1650, Alexander Read, “[A Treatise of Ulcers. The Second Treatise.] Lect[ure] III. Of the Generall Differences and Signes of Ulcers.”, in The Workes of that Famous Physitian Dr. Alexander Read, […], 2nd edition, London: Printed by E. G. for Richard Thrale, and are to be sold by Iohn Clarke […], →OCLC, page 88

    Venereal diseases were responsible for four deaths and 141 final invalidings, [...]

    1913 December 20, “Health of the British Navy”, in The North-China Herald and Supreme Court & Consular Gazette: The Weekly Edition of the North-China Daily News, volume CIX (New Series), number 2419, Shanghai: Printed and published at the offices of the North-China Daily News & Herald, Ld., →OCLC, page 924, column 2

    [I]t must be recognized that there are two distinct and separate phases of venereal disease education: (1) the imparting to the individual of adequate technical knowledge of the venereal diseases and their prevention, and (2) the motivation of the individual with the will to avoid either illicit sexual intercourse or unprotected sexual exposure.

    1944 November, Thomas H. Sternberg, Granville W. Larimore, “Army Contributions to Postwar Venereal Disease Control Planning”, in Venereal Disease Control: Proceedings, National Conference, St. Louis, Missouri, November 1944 (Journal of Venereal Disease Information; supplement no. 20), Washington, D.C.: U.S. Public Health Service, Federal Security Agency; United States Government Printing Office, published 1945, →OCLC, page 23

    Within a fortnight of their arrival 'a startling outburst' of venereal disease occurred among the troops. Over the next four months more than 2000 Australian soldiers were infected.

    2008, Peter Rees, “The Prelude”, in The Other Anzacs: Nurses at War 1914–1918, Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, →ISBN; The Other Anzacs: The Extraordinary Story of Our World War I Nurses, paperback edition, Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, 2009, →ISBN, page 27

    Antonyms: nonvenereal

  3. not comparableobsoleteastrologyPertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Venus; lascivious, lustful.

    The Venereall, are the delitious, laſcivious, mild, kinde, pleaſant, and tame; as the Calfe, cony, dog, goat, and ſcinck.

    1661, Robert Lovell, “Isagoge Zoologicomineralogica. Or An Introduction to the History of Animals and Minerals, or Panzoographie, and Pammineralogie.”, in ΠΑΝΖΩΟΡΥΚΤΟΛΟΓΙΑ [PANZŌORYKTOLOGIA]. Sive Panzoologicomineralogia. Or A Compleat History of Animals and Minerals, Containing the Summe of All Authors, both Ancient and Modern, Galenicall and Chymicall, …, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Hen[ry] Hall, for Jos[eph] Godwin, →OCLC

    Synonyms: libidinous, lusty, venereous, ablaze, amorous, aroused, buckish, concupiscent

  4. not comparableobsoletechemistryOf or relating to copper (formerly called Venus by alchemists).
    1 more example

    When after their beaſtly ſport and pleaſure Mounſieur Libid[inoſo] heat of luſt was ſomewhat aſſwaged, and ready to goe, féeling his pocket for a venereall remuneration [i.e., a copper coin] finds nothing but a Teſter, or at leaſt ſo little, that it was not ſufficient to pleaſe dame Pleaſure for her hire. [...] My Ladie would not beléeue Monſ. Libid. a great while, but ſearched and féeled for more coine, [...]

    1602, S[amuel] R[owlands], “How a Citizen was Serued by a Curtizan”, in Greenes Ghost Havnting Conie-catchers. […], London: Printed [by Peter Short?] for R[oger] Iackson, and I. North, […], →OCLC; republished in The Complete Works of Samuel Rowlands: 1598–1628: Now First Collected, volume I, [Glasgow]: Printed [by R. Anderson] for the Hunterian Club, 1880, →OCLC, page 42

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveOf or relating to the genitals or sexual intercourse.

adjectiveOf a disease: sexually transmitted; of or relating to, or adapted to the cure of, a venereal disease.

Opposite

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveof or relating to the external sex organs

Similar
Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*wenh₁-“to love”
  2. Latinvenereus
  3. Middle Englishvenereal
  4. Englishvenereal

From Middle English venereal, venerealle (“of or relating to sexual intercourse”), from Latin venereus, venerius (“of or relating to sexual love”), from Venus (“Roman goddess of love”) (from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- (“to love”)) + -eus, -ius (suffix forming adjectives from nouns).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian венерически
  • венерически (veneričeski)of a disease: sexually transmitted
Chinese Mandarin 性病的
  • 性病的 (xìngbìng de)of a disease: sexually transmitted
Dutch venerisch
  • venerischof a disease: sexually transmitted
Esperanto venera
  • veneraof a disease: sexually transmitted
Finnish veneerinen
  • veneerinenof a disease: sexually transmitted
French vénérien, aphroditique
  • vénérienof a disease: sexually transmitted
  • aphroditiqueof a disease: sexually transmitted
German venerisch
  • venerischof a disease: sexually transmitted
Icelandic kyn-, samræðis-
  • kyn-of or relating to the genitals or sexual intercourse
  • samræðis-of or relating to the genitals or sexual intercourse
Irish drúisiúil, véinéireach
  • drúisiúilof or relating to the genitals or sexual intercourse
  • véinéireachof a disease: sexually transmitted
Italian venereo
  • venereoof a disease: sexually transmitted
Japanese 性病の
  • 性病の (seibyō)of a disease: sexually transmitted
Latin venerealis
  • venerealisof or relating to the genitals or sexual intercourse
Polish weneryczny
  • wenerycznyof a disease: sexually transmitted
Portuguese venéreo
  • venéreoof a disease: sexually transmitted
Romanian veneric
  • venericof a disease: sexually transmitted
Russian венери́ческий
  • венери́ческий (veneríčeskij)of a disease: sexually transmitted
Scottish Gaelic drùiseil
  • drùiseilof or relating to the genitals or sexual intercourse
Spanish venéreo
  • venéreoof a disease: sexually transmitted
Swedish venerisk, venerisk
  • veneriskof or relating to the genitals or sexual intercourse
  • veneriskof a disease: sexually transmitted

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

venereal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/venereal

MLA

“venereal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/venereal. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “venereal,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/venereal.

Source: venereal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.