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⇱ venial - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

venial

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈviːnɪəl/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈviniəl, ˈvinjəl/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(vē′nē əl, vēn′yəl)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ve•ni•al /ˈviniəl, ˈvinyəl/USA pronunciation   adj. 
  1. Religionable to be forgiven or pardoned:venial offenses; venial sins.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ve•ni•al  (vē′nē əl, vēn′yəl),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. able to be forgiven or pardoned;
    not seriously wrong, as a sin (opposed to mortal).
  2. excusable;
    trifling;
    minor:a venial error; a venial offense.
  • Medieval Latin veniālis, equivalent. to Latin veni(a) grace, favor, indulgence (akin to venus; see venerate, Venus) + -ālis -al1
  • Middle English 1250–1300
ve′ni•al′i•ty, ve′ni•al•ness, n. 
ve′ni•al•ly, adv. 
    2. slight, pardonable, forgivable.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
venial /ˈviːnɪəl/ adj
  1. easily excused or forgiven: a venial error
Etymology: 13th Century: via Old French from Late Latin veniālis, from Latin venia forgiveness; related to Latin venus loveveniality /ˌviːnɪˈælɪtɪ/, venialness /ˈviːnɪəlnəs/ n ˈvenially adv
'venial' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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