Venal vs. Venial
Venal
Definition
Venal refers to a willingness to be bribed or to act dishonestly for personal gain.
Venial
Definition
Venial describes a sin or offense that is minor and can be forgiven.
Example
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The venal politician accepted bribes to influence legislation.
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Corruption thrives in venal systems where officials prioritize personal profit over public service.
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The venal nature of some business practices has raised ethical concerns.
Example
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He committed a venial mistake in his calculations, but it did not affect the overall result.
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The teacher considered the late assignment a venial offense and chose not to penalize the student.
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In the grand scheme of things, his venial errors were easily overlooked.
Other: