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:
- Remember venal contains an a which stands for avarice or greed, linking it to bribery and corruption.
- Venial has an i, which can remind you of the word minor, indicating a minor fault or easily forgiven sin.
- Think of venal as vile due to its involvement with unethical actions.
- Venial can be associated with forgiveness, as it's a fault that can be easily overlooked.
- Both words touch on faults, but venal is a serious ethical breach, while venial is minor and forgivable.
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