venal
pronunciation
How to pronounce venal in British English:
UK [ˈvi:nl]
How to pronounce venal in American English:
US [ˈvinəl]
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- Adjective:
- capable of being corrupted
Word Origin
- venal (adj.)
- 1650s, "capable of being obtained for a price; that can be corrupted;" 1660s, "offered for sale," from French vénal, Old French venel "for sale" (of prostitutes, etc.; 12c.), from Latin venalis "for sale, to be sold; capable of being bribed," from venum (nominative *venus) "for sale," from PIE root *wes- (1) "to buy, sell" (cognates: Sanskrit vasnah "purchase money," vasnam "reward," vasnayati "he bargains, haggles;" Greek onos "price paid, purchase," oneisthai "to buy"). Typically with a bad sense of "ready to sell one's services or influence for money and from sordid motives; to be bought basely or meanly."
Example
- 1. Civil defense forces are a venal extortion racket .
- 2. Complaints abound about arbitrary and venal tax inspections .
- 3. In the public imagination , " mp " evokes a venal , faceless technocrat .
- 4. His generous investment of libyan oil revenues around the continent , of course , was a more venal inducement to african fealty .
- 5. Even before passing through immigration into indonesia , you may fall prey to the venal flair of its bureaucrats .