VENALLY

dishonestly, venally, deceitfully

(adverb) in a corrupt and deceitful manner; “he acted dishonestly when he gave the contract to his best friend”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adverb

venally (comparative more venally, superlative most venally)

In a venal fashion; mercenarily or in a manner subject to corruption.

Source: Wiktionary


Ve"nal*ly, adv.

Definition: In a venal manner.

VENAL

Ve"nal, a. Etym: [L. vena a vein.]

Definition: Of or pertaining to veins; venous; as, venal blood. [R.]

Ve"nal, a. Etym: [L. venalis, from venus sale; akin to Gr. vasna: cf. F. vénal.]

Definition: Capable of being bought or obtained for money or other valuable consideration; made matter of trade or barter; held for sale; salable; mercenary; purchasable; hireling; as, venal services. " Paid court to venal beauties." Macaulay. The venal cry and prepared vote of a passive senate. Burke.

Syn.

– Mercenary; hireling; vendible.

– Venal, Mercenary. One is mercenary who is either actually a hireling (as, mercenary soldiers, a mercenary judge, etc.), or is governed by a sordid love of gain; hence, we speak of mercenary motives, a mercenary marriage, etc. Venal goes further, and supposes either an actual purchase, or a readiness to be purchased, which places a person or thing wholly in the power of the purchaser; as, a venal press. Brissot played ingeniously on the latter word in his celebrated saying, " My pen is venal that it may not be mercenary," meaning that he wrote books, and sold them to the publishers, in order to avoid the necessity of being the hireling of any political party. Thus needy wits a vile revenue made, And verse became a mercenary trade. Dryden. This verse be thine, my friend, nor thou refuse This, from no venal or ungrateful muse. Pope.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

16 May 2025

AMPHIPROSTYLAR

(adjective) marked by columniation having free columns in porticoes either at both ends or at both sides of a structure


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Coffee Trivia

Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine-free. Studies from the National Institute of Health (US) have shown that virtually all decaf coffee types contain caffeine. A 236-ml (8-oz) cup of decaf coffee contains up to 7 mg of caffeine, whereas a regular cup provided 70-140 mg.

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