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.