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 and venial sound similar, but have very different meanings.
- Remember that venal is related to corruption and money.
- Venial refers to something forgivable or minor, often used in the context of sins.
- Think of venal with an a for avarice, a synonym for greed.
- For venial, associate the i with insignificant to remember it's about minor faults.
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