Meaning & use
venial
Describing a sin, fault, or offense that is minor and can be readily forgiven or excused.
See it in a sentence
Forgetting to reply to an email is a venial mistake, not a firing offense.
In Catholic teaching, a venial sin is considered less serious than a mortal one.
A note on using this word
Venial is most familiar from religious contexts but also applies more broadly to any minor, forgivable wrongdoing.
Words with a similar meaning
pardonableexcusable
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
mortalunforgivable
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “venial”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.