Definitions

venal

[veen-l] / ˈvin l /

ADJECTIVE

bribable, corruptible

Synonyms

STRONGEST

amoral corrupt crooked dishonest immoral unethical unscrupulous

WEAK

bent buyable conscienceless double-dealing mercenary on the take padded purchasable unprincipled unprofessional

Antonyms

STRONGEST

ethical good honest moral noble principled pure right scrupulous trustworthy truthful uncorrupt upright

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Network, from 1976, cast him as a venal television producer.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

But that, of course, is the slippery pleasure of “Relay,” which pits individuals against venal institutional might.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2025

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention were desperate to protect their young nation against venal officeholders, discussing fears of corruption so frequently that James Madison made a special note of their preoccupation with the subject.

From Slate • May 12, 2025

We are everything everyone says we are – venal, shallow, incredibly ignorant, self-effacing, smug, arrogant and often wrong.

From Salon • Apr. 27, 2024

There was something venal about his thin-lipped face; he had the air of a man to whom corruption was familiar.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Vocabulary lists containing venal

30 GRE Words Beginning with "T" "U" "V" and "W"

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100 SAT Words Beginning with "V"

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Commonly Confused Words, List 4

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