Venial

Pronunciation: /ˈviːniəl/

Definitions of venial

adjective allowing or able to be forgiven easily; excusable

Example Sentences

A1 Making mistakes in this game is considered venial.

A2 Forgetting your homework occasionally is seen as a venial offense by the teacher.

B1 Telling a white lie is often seen as a venial sin by some religious beliefs.

B2 In the grand scheme of things, his actions were seen as venial compared to the crimes of others.

C1 The judge considered the defendant's actions to be venial and decided on a lenient sentence.

C2 The company's minor accounting errors were deemed venial and easily rectified.

Examples of venial in a Sentence

formal Stealing a pen from work may be considered a venial offense.

informal Eating the last cookie in the jar is a venial sin in this household.

slang Skipping class is just a venial sin compared to what others do.

figurative In the grand scheme of things, telling a white lie is a venial transgression.

Grammatical Forms of venial

• past tense: venialed
• plural: venials
• comparative: more venial
• superlative: most venial
• present tense: venial
• future tense: will be venial
• perfect tense: have been venial
• continuous tense: is being venial
• singular: venial
• positive degree: venial
• infinitive: to be venial
• gerund: being venial
• participle: venialing

Origin and Evolution of venial

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'venial' originated from Latin 'venialis', which is derived from 'venia' meaning forgiveness or pardon.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in a religious context to refer to sins that are pardonable or forgivable, the word 'venial' has evolved to also describe minor faults or offenses that are considered to be easily excused or forgiven.