venal
/'vi:nl/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Willing to participate in dishonest or illegal activities, especially bribery, for personal gain: Describes a person, their character, or their actions as being open to corruption, typically through bribery or other financial incentives.
- Associated with or characterized by bribery: Describes practices, systems, or behaviors that involve the exchange of money or favors for dishonest services.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The investigation revealed a venal official who accepted bribes to overlook safety violations.
- A venal judiciary undermines public trust in the entire legal system.
- His venal motives were clear when he changed his vote after receiving a large campaign donation.
Advanced Usage
- "Venal corruption": A specific type of corruption involving bribery.
- The country struggled to root out venal corruption within its customs agency.
- "Venal interests": Describes motivations driven purely by the desire for monetary gain.
- The policy was shaped not by public good but by venal interests.
Variants and Related Words
- Venality (noun): The quality or state of being venal; susceptibility to bribery.
- The venality of the regime was its ultimate downfall.
Synonyms
- Corruptible: Capable of being morally corrupted.
- Bribable: Willing to accept a bribe.
- Purchasable: Able to be bought or influenced with money.
- Dishonest: Behaving or prone to behave in an untrustworthy or fraudulent way.
Antonyms
- Incorruptible: Incapable of being morally corrupted, especially by bribery.
- Principled: Acting in accordance with morality and showing recognition of right and wrong.
- Honest: Free of deceit; truthful and sincere.
Notes on Meaning
- Primary Connotation: The term venal strongly implies that a person's integrity or actions are . The core idea is a readiness to sacrifice principles for money.
- Distinction from "Corrupt": While "corrupt" is a broader term for dishonest or fraudulent conduct, venal specifically highlights the aspect of the corruption—being bought or bribed. A venal person is inherently corruptible.
- Scope: It can describe individuals (e.g., a ) or abstract concepts (e.g., , a ).
Adjective
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capable of being corrupted
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corruptible judges
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dishonest politicians
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a purchasable senator
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a venal police officer
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