commanding respect because of great age or impressive dignity; worthy of veneration or reverence, as because of high office or noble character: a venerable member of Congress.
2.
a title for someone proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church to have attained the first degree of sanctity or of an Anglican archdeacon.
3.
(of places, buildings, etc.) hallowed by religious, historic, or other lofty associations: the venerable halls of the abbey.
4.
impressive or interesting because of age, antique appearance, etc.: a venerable oak tree.
5.
extremely old or obsolete; ancient: a venerable automobile.
–noun
6.
a venerable person.
[Origin: 1400–50; late ME < L venerābilis, equiv. to venerā(rī) to venerate+ -bilis-ble]
1432, from L. venerabilis, from venerari "to worship, revere" (see veneration). As a title, used in ref. to ecclesiastics or those who had obtained the first degree of canonization.
Ven"er*a*ble\, a. [L. venerabilis: cf. F. v['e]n['e]rable.]1. Capable of being venerated; worthy of veneration or reverence; deserving of honor and respect; -- generally implying an advanced age; as, a venerable magistrate; a venerable parent. He was a man of eternal self-sacrifice, and that is always venerable. --De Quincey. Venerable men! you have come down to us from a former generation. --D. Webster. 2. Rendered sacred by religious or other associations; that should be regarded with awe and treated with reverence; as, the venerable walls of a temple or a church. Note: This word is employed in the Church of England as a title for an archdeacon. In the Roman Catholic Church, venerable is applied to those who have attained to the lowest of the three recognized degrees of sanctity, but are not among the beatified, nor the canonized. -- Ven"er*a*ble*ness, n. -- Ven"er*a*bly, adv.
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