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

/ ˌviːnɪ'ælɪtɪ; ˈviːnɪəl /

adjective

1. easily excused or forgiven

   a venial error

Derived Forms

• ˈvenially, adverb
• veniality, noun

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of venial¹

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

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.

From The Daily Beast

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

From Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

Play, in men whose means are ample, if considered a vice, is thought a very venial one.

From Project Gutenberg

Those who have only committed venial sins are first purified of them, and then rewarded for the good which they have done.

From Project Gutenberg