venial

[ vee-nee-uhl, veen-yuhl ]
See synonyms for: venialveniality on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. able to be forgiven or pardoned; not seriously wrong, as a sin (opposed to mortal).

  2. excusable; trifling; minor: a venial error; a venial offense.

Origin of venial

1
1250–1300; Middle English <Medieval Latin veniālis, equivalent to Latin veni(a) grace, favor, indulgence (akin to venus;see venerate, Venus) + -ālis-al1

Other words for venial

Other words from venial

  • ve·ni·al·i·ty, ve·ni·al·ness, noun
  • ve·ni·al·ly, adverb
  • un·ve·ni·al, adjective
  • un·ve·ni·al·ly, adverb
  • un·ve·ni·al·ness, noun
  • un·ve·ni·al·i·ty, noun

Words that may be confused with venial

Words Nearby venial

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use venial in a sentence

  • Play, in men whose means are ample, if considered a vice, is thought a very venial one.

  • Those who have only committed venial sins are first purified of them, and then rewarded for the good which they have done.

    Phaedo | Plato

British Dictionary definitions for venial

venial

/ (ˈviːnɪəl) /


adjective
  1. easily excused or forgiven: a venial error

Origin of venial

1
C13: via Old French from Late Latin veniālis, from Latin venia forgiveness; related to Latin venus love

Derived forms of venial

  • veniality (ˌviːnɪ'ælɪtɪ), noun
  • venially, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012