venally
- adverb
- /ˈvɛnəli/
- Formal
:
de manera venal
- He acted venally, accepting bribes to favor certain businesses over others.
Examples
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The politician was known to govern venally, often making deals that benefited himself rather than the public.
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She was criticized for her venally motivated decisions, which prioritized profit over ethical considerations.
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Unfortunately, the innocent will be punished with the venally criminally thoughtless voters—as always.
Blog text (23)
Synonyms
4
3.5
In a way that tries to trick or cheat other people
2
7.1
In a dishonest way to get money or power
1
6.3
In a way that tries to trick someone
In a dishonest way to get money or power
In a very bad or unpleasant way
In a way that is morally wrong or dishonest
Antonyms
How Honest
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word venally comes from the Latin venalis, which means 'for sale', and is related to vendor ('seller'). So, to act venally is to be like something 'for sale', willing to take money or a bribe, which is why it means 'corrupt' or 'bribable' today.