Master confusing words with ease
Venal vs. Venial
Venal
Examples:
The judge's venal behavior tainted the entire trial.She couldn't ignore his venal motives in the decision.A society plagued by venal officials cannot thrive.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Venial
/ˈviːniəl/Examples:
His forgetfulness was deemed a venial fault.The school classified tardiness as a venial offense.Laughing at the wrong time is often a venial mistake.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Venal has an a, just like bribe, which is what venal relates to.
- Venial has an i, like light, as in light sins or errors.
- Remember that venal sounds like venom, both are negative and associated with corruption.
- Venial sounds like median, which could remind you it's less severe, like minor sins.
- Keep in mind that venal is often used in political contexts, while venial is more religious or moralistic.
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