Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Venal
Ve′nal
(vē′nal)
, Adj.
[L.
vena
a vein.] Of or pertaining to veins; venous;
as,
. venal
blood[R.]
Ve′nal
,Adj.
[L.
venalis
, from venus
sale; akin to Gr. ὦνοσ
price, Skr. vasna
: cf. F. vénal
.] Capable of being bought or obtained for money or other valuable consideration; made matter of trade or barter; held for sale; salable; mercenary; purchasable; hireling;
“ Paid court to venal beauties.” as,
. venal
servicesMacaulay.
The
venal
cry and prepared vote of a passive senate. Burke.
Syn. – Mercenary; hireling; vendible.
–
Venal
, Mercenary
. One is mercenary who is either actually a hireling (as, mercenary soldiers, a mercenary judge, etc.), or is governed by a sordid love of gain; hence, we speak of mercenary motives, a mercenary marriage, etc. Venal goes further, and supposes either an actual purchase, or a readiness to be purchased, which places a person or thing wholly in the power of the purchaser; as, a
. Brissot played ingeniously on the latter word in his celebrated saying, “ My pen is venal that it may not be mercenary,” meaning that he wrote books, and sold them to the publishers, in order to avoid the necessity of being the hireling of any political party. venal
pressThus needy wits a vile revenue made,
And verse became a
And verse became a
mercenary
trade. Dryden.
This verse be thine, my friend, nor thou refuse
This, from no
This, from no
venal
or ungrateful muse. Pope.
Webster 1828 Edition
Venal
VE'NAL
,Adj.
VE'NAL
,Adj.
1.
Mercenary; prostitute; that may be bought or obtained for money or other valuable consideration; as a venal muse; venal services.2.
That may be sold; set to sale; as, all offices are venal in a corrupt government.3.
Purchased; as a venal vote.Definition 2024
venal
venal
See also: vénal
English
Adjective
venal (comparative more venal, superlative most venal)
Etymology 2
From French vénal, from Old French venel, from Latin vēnālis (“for sale”), from vēnum (“something for sale”); compare vend.
Adjective
venal (comparative more venal, superlative most venal)
- (archaic) For sale; available for purchase.
- Of a position, privilege etc.: available for purchase rather than assigned on merit.
- 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin 2003, p. 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.
- 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin 2003, p. 140:
- Capable of being bought (of a person); willing to take bribes.
- (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.
- 1785, The Times, 9 Feb 1785, page 1, column C:
Synonyms
- (for sale): purchasable
- (willing to take bribes): crooked
Antonyms
Related terms
Translations
for sale, available for a price
willing to take bribes
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corrupt, mercenary