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View synonyms for venial

venial

[ vee-nee-uhl, veen-yuhl ]

adjective

  1. able to be forgiven or pardoned; not seriously wrong, as a sin ( mortal ).
  2. excusable; trifling; minor:

    a venial error; a venial offense.

    Synonyms: forgivable, pardonable, slight



venial

/ ˈviːnɪəl; ˌviːnɪ'ælɪtɪ /

adjective

  1. easily excused or forgiven

    a venial error



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Derived Forms

  • veniality, noun
  • ˈvenially, adverb

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Other Words From

  • 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

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Word History and Origins

Origin of venial1

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

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Word History and Origins

Origin of venial1

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

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Example Sentences

Conventionality is the most venial of all moviemaking sins, if it’s a sin at all.

From Time

The SEC charging Goldman with securities fraud is like the Vatican charging a priest with venial sin.

The child, who teaches its grandmother to suck eggs, commits a venial fault in comparison.

Its greatest fault was not extravagance, for that is a venial folly, but ignorance, which even youth cannot wholly excuse.

In these hopeful moods it was a necessity of his drama that his transgression of the law should seem venial to him.

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.

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veni-venial sin