# venal
## English
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈviːnəl/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Rhymes: -iːnəl

### Etymology 1

From Latin vēna (“vein”) +‎ -al.

#### Adjective

venal (comparative more venal, superlative most venal)
* (rare, archaic) Venous; pertaining to veins.

### Etymology 2

Borrowed from French vénal, from Old French venel, from Latin vēnālis (“for sale”), from vēnum (“something for sale”); compare English vend.

#### Adjective

venal (comparative more venal, superlative most venal)
* (archaic) For sale; available for purchase.
    Synonym: purchasable
* Of a position, privilege etc.: available for purchase rather than assigned on merit.
** 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 140:Thus, regimental commands in the army were – as with the judiciary or the financial bureaucracy – venal posts, which were purchased, bequeathed and sold among the nobility.
* Capable of being bought (of a person); willing to take bribes.
    Synonym: crooked
    Antonyms: straight, honest, uncorrupt
* (of behaviour etc.) Corrupt, mercenary.
** 1785, The Times, 9 Feb 1785, page 1, column C:
    Though there is a disposition in mankind, to declaim against the corruption and peculation of the present times, as being more venal than formerly; yet, if we look back to different periods, we shall find statesmen and politicians, as selfish and corrupt, […] as those who have lately figured on the political stage.

##### Usage notes

Venal behavior (bribery/corruption) is not to be confused with venial behavior (mildly wrong behavior).

##### Related terms

* venality (noun)
* venally (adverb)

##### Translations
### Anagrams

* Alven, Levan, elvan, levan, navel

## Catalan
### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central) [bəˈnal]
* IPA: (Balearic) [vəˈnal]
* IPA: (Valencia) [veˈnal]

### Etymology 1

From vena +‎ -al.

#### Adjective

venal m or f (masculine and feminine plural venals)
* venal, venous

### Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin vēnālis (“for sale”), from vēnum (“something for sale”).

#### Adjective

venal m or f (masculine and feminine plural venals)
* for sale, sellable
* venal (willing to take bribes)
    Synonym: subornable

### Further reading

* “venal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “venal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
* “venal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
* “venal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

## Portuguese
### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin vēnālis.

### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /veˈnaw/ [veˈnaʊ̯]
* (Portugal) IPA: /vɨˈnal/ [vɨˈnaɫ]
* (Portugal) IPA: /vɨˈnal/ [vɨˈnaɫ]
** (Northern Portugal) IPA: /bɨˈnal/ [bɨˈnaɫ]
** (Southern Portugal) IPA: /vɨˈna.li/
* Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
* Hyphenation: ven‧nal

### Adjective

venal m or f (plural venais, not comparable)
* (anatomy) venal, venous (pertaining to veins)
    Synonym: venoso
* related to sales, commercial
    Synonym: comercial
* (figurative) easily bribable, capable of selling oneself; corrupt
    Synonym: corrupto

#### Derived terms

* venalmente

### References

* ↑ “venal”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
* ↑ “venal”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French vénal, from Latin venalis.

### Adjective

venal m or n (feminine singular venală, masculine plural venali, feminine and neuter plural venale)
* venal, venous

#### Declension
## Spanish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /beˈnal/ [beˈnal]
* Rhymes: -al
* Syllabification: ve‧nal

### Etymology 1

From vena +‎ -al.

#### Adjective

venal m or f (masculine and feminine plural venales)
* venous
    Synonym: venoso

### Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin vēnālis (“for sale”), from vēnum (“something for sale”).

#### Adjective

venal m or f (masculine and feminine plural venales)
* venal, corruptible
* for sale, sellable
    Synonym: vendible

##### Derived terms

* valor venal

### Further reading

* “venal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10