venal
/ˈviːnəl/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.34 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "Because lips libertine and and venal had murmured such words to him, he believed but little in the candour of hers; […]."
- "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."
- "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."
Etymology
From Latin vēna (“vein”) + -al.
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
Usage
Inflected Forms
more venal (comparative)
most venal (superlative)