venerable

American  

[ven-er-uh-buhl] / ˈvɛn ər ə bəl /

adjective

1. 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.

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

3. (of places, buildings, etc.) hallowed by religious, historic, or other lofty associations.

   the venerable halls of the abbey.

4. impressive or interesting because of age, antique appearance, etc..

   a venerable oak tree.

5. extremely old or obsolete; ancient.

   a venerable automobile.

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noun

1. a venerable person.

venerable British  

/ ˈvɛnərəbəl /

adjective

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

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

3. ancient

   venerable tomes

4. 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

5. Church of England a title given to an archdeacon

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Other Word Forms

• quasi-venerable adjective
• quasi-venerably adverb
• unvenerability noun
• unvenerable adjective
• unvenerableness noun
• unvenerably adverb
• venerability noun
• venerableness noun
• venerably adverb

Etymology

Origin of venerable

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

Explanation

To be venerable is to be admired and respected because of your status or age. You become venerable by achieving great things or just by living long enough. The adjective venerable means "admired" and "respected" — it should describe how you feel about old folks and bosses, for example. It describes the wise old man at the top of the mountain who tells you the meaning of life. As a noun, the Venerable refers to someone high up in a religion, usually Christian. In fact, Saint Bede, who is sometimes called the Father of English History, is often referred to as Bede the Venerable.

Example Sentences

The venerable Warren Buffett offered this simple maxim in a letter to Berkshire Hathaway investors in 1986:

From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026

Spaces are well-defined and venerable terms in physics and math.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

The visit marks 100 years since the death of its Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi, who was declared "venerable" by the Catholic Church in 2025, the first step on the path to sainthood.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

“Remember the Times” stretches back to Riley’s childhood in Harlem, where the playground of his elementary school abutted the parking lot behind New York’s venerable Apollo Theater.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

“I fear that Cluny tore up one of your oldest and most venerable dishrags. Alas, Redwall will never see it wipe another plate!”

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Related Words

• esteemed
• grand
• revered
• stately
• venerated