venerable

[ ven-er-uh-buhl ]

/ ˈvɛn ər ə bəl /

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See synonyms for: venerable / venerableness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

commanding respect because of great age or impressive dignity; worthy of veneration or reverence, as because of high office or noble character: a venerable member of Congress.

a title for someone proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church to have attained the first degree of sanctity or of an Anglican archdeacon.

(of places, buildings, etc.) hallowed by religious, historic, or other lofty associations: the venerable halls of the abbey.

impressive or interesting because of age, antique appearance, etc.: a venerable oak tree.

extremely old or obsolete; ancient: a venerable automobile.

noun

a venerable person.

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Origin of venerable

1400–50; late Middle English <Latin venerābilis, equivalent to venerā(rī) to venerate + -bilis-ble

OTHER WORDS FROM venerable

ven·er·a·bil·i·ty, ven·er·a·ble·ness, nounven·er·a·bly, adverbqua·si-ven·er·a·ble, adjectivequa·si-ven·er·a·bly, adverb

un·ven·er·a·bil·i·ty, nounun·ven·er·a·ble, adjectiveun·ven·er·a·ble·ness, nounun·ven·er·a·bly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH venerable

venerable , vulnerable

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use venerable in a sentence

The latest AI innovation to make its way into the venerable image editing software, however, pushes the automatic adjustments to an entirely new level.
Photoshop’s Neural Filters can alter people’s expressions in convincing—and nightmarish—ways|Stan Horaczek|October 22, 2020|Popular-Science
There’s no question that molecular biology has its own long and venerable history as a hard science in its own right.
Why Physics Can’t Tell Us What Life Is - Issue 92: Frontiers|Jeremy England|October 21, 2020|Nautilus
A venerable player in the single sign-on market, its product was not a market leader, and after 14 years and $128 million in venture capital, it needed to find a new path.
Private equity firms can offer enterprise startups a viable exit option|Ron Miller|October 16, 2020|TechCrunch
The Max, the latest version of the venerable 737 narrow-body, was grounded in March 2019 in the wake of two accidents that took 346 lives, setting into motion a crisis that’s cost Boeing billions of dollars and then-CEO Dennis Muilenburg his job.
Boeing shares soar after European regulator appears to give the green light to 737 Max|Bernhard Warner|October 16, 2020|Fortune

The venerable author has written more than 20 books, including the bestselling Mars trilogy.
Kim Stanley Robinson Holds Out Hope - Issue 90: Something Green|Liz Greene|October 7, 2020|Nautilus
Dern has fame and the stature and rightful venerability of age on his side, Isaac does not.
Why No Oscar Love For 'Inside Llewyn Davis'?|Tim Teeman|January 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What should one of his venerability be doing abroad at such an hour!
The Title Market|Emily Post
A certain venerability, capable of quelling storms and silencing noisy meetings, characterized him.
The Red Room|August Strindberg
In morning, in deshabille, not all the venerability of its age can make it respectable.
Continental Monthly, Vol. II. July, 1862. No. 1.|Various
Joanna, like so many Americans, was thrilled at the aura of venerability and royal custom surrounding the estate.
My Father, the Cat|Henry Slesar

British Dictionary definitions for venerable

venerable

/ (ˈvɛnərəbəl) /

adjective

(esp of a person) worthy of reverence on account of great age, religious associations, character, position, etc

(of inanimate objects) hallowed or impressive on account of historical or religious association

ancientvenerable tomes

RC Church a title bestowed on a deceased person when the first stage of his canonization has been accomplished and his holiness has been recognized in a decree of the official Church

Church of England a title given to an archdeacon

Derived forms of venerable

venerability or venerableness, nounvenerably, adverb

Word Origin for venerable

C15: from Latin venerābilis, from venerārī to venerate

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

venerable

Origin of venerable

OTHER WORDS FROM venerable

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH venerable

Words related to venerable

How to use venerable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for venerable

Derived forms of venerable

Word Origin for venerable