venial

American  

[vee-nee-uhl, veen-yuhl] / ˈvi ni əl, ˈvin yəl /

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

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venial British  

/ ˌviːnɪ'ælɪtɪ, ˈviːnɪəl /

adjective

1. easily excused or forgiven

   a venial error

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Other Word Forms

• unvenial adjective
• unveniality noun
• unvenially adverb
• unvenialness noun
• veniality noun
• venially adverb
• venialness noun

Etymology

Origin of venial

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

Example Sentences

Gene Weingarten’s entertaining and otherwise accurate list of venial sins in his Nov. 1 Washington Post Magazine column, “Gene engages in venial labor,” reflected an error of canonical proportion.

From Washington Post • Nov. 13, 2020

It is the diminishment of a man by a thousand nicks, a soul that rationalizes venial sins for the sake of his only child.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2017

That’s an awfully venial sin, and I think you’ll have to deal with your outsize feelings of grief on your own.

From Slate • Jul. 12, 2016

What we got was akin to looting an ATM: not just amusing, venial sins, but some nearly unforgivable mortal ones.

From Golf Digest • Aug. 3, 2010

Father Byrnes went on to discuss the difference between mortal and venial sins.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya