venial

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a nounformal

   Of a wrong act, small enough to be forgiven or excused easily.

   Grammar: Usually appears before sin, fault or offense: a venial sin.

   Patterns

   • a venial sin
   • a venial fault

   Forgetting her birthday was a venial mistake, and she laughed it off.

   He regarded his lateness as a venial offense.

   The critic called the plot holes venial flaws in an otherwise fine film.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nounreligion

   In Catholic teaching, describing a sin that is less serious than a mortal sin and does not cut a person off from grace.

   Grammar: A theological term, often paired with sin.

   Patterns

   • a venial sin

   The priest explained that gossip is a venial sin.

   In the catechism, venial sins can be forgiven through prayer.

   Students learned the difference between venial and mortal sins.

Common combinations

venial sin

Stealing a pen was a venial sin, he joked.

venial fault

Vanity is a venial fault.

venial offense

The judge saw it as a venial offense.

venial and mortal

The book separates venial and mortal sins.

merely venial

Her error was merely venial.

Synonyms and how they differ

minor

Minor is the plain word for small, but venial adds the idea that the wrong is forgivable.

pardonable

Pardonable emphasizes that forgiveness is easy, close to venial, though less formal.

excusable

Excusable describes behavior that can be justified, whereas venial sounds more moral or religious.

trivial

Trivial suggests unimportance and not necessarily wrongdoing.

Opposites

Word family

venially adverb

in a minor, forgivable way

venialness noun

the quality of being forgivable

venia noun

Latin for pardon, the root of the word

Commonly confused: venial or venal?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “venial”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words