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

“I am a bit of a romantic fabulist,” says the venerable Mexican singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas in her new memoir, “Norteña: Memorias del Comienzo.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

The "Costume Art" exhibit, which opens on May 10 at the venerable museum in Manhattan, will seek to explore the "dressed body" in artworks across the centuries.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

“Equally important, the practice violated the venerable principle of free competition,” Smith writes, and the association dissolved amid antitrust challenges by 1890.

From Barron's • May 2, 2026

Actually, that comparison was made by New York infrastructure czar Robert Moses; Mr. Gittlitz fits in a venerable tradition.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

I inquired what he wished me to play, indicating that I knew by heart sonatas by Corelli, Tartini, Locatelli, and such other venerable Italian masters as were most highly esteemed.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• esteemed
• grand
• revered
• stately
• venerated