Meaning & use

venally

adverb·Advanced

In a way that is influenced by or open to bribery and corruption.

See it in a sentence

The official acted venally, awarding contracts only to those who paid him privately.

Historians describe the regime's officials as venally exploiting every position of power.

A note on using this word

Venally is rare in speech and mostly appears in formal writing about corruption or political misconduct.

Words with a similar meaning

corruptly

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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