venality

[ vee-nal-i-tee, vuh- ]
See synonyms for venality on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the condition or quality of being venal; openness to bribery or corruption.

Origin of venality

1
From the Late Latin word vēnālitas, dating back to 1605–15. See venal, -ity

Words Nearby venality

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use venality in a sentence

  • On the contrary, vanity more than venality was the problem at the top in Egypt.

    Hosni Mubarak's Final Tragedy | Christopher Dickey | February 13, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • He was a reformer of abuses, publishing the most severe acts against venality, and deciding quarrels on principles of justice.

  • He saw the power of reconstruction, its ignorance, its venality accentuated to a degree that provoked his abhorrence.

    The Broken Sword | Dennison Worthington
  • A Parliament which has exhibited its venality so openly can have little pretension to public confidence.

  • He knows the corrupt workings of politicians, the venality of biased courts, the weakness of the human heart when tempted by gold.

    The Happy Family | Bertha Muzzy Bower
  • There was nothing shocking in all this venality to the bulk of the Johannesburg speculator class and others of that category.