Venal vs Venial
venal
corruptible/bribable
venial
a minor/forgivable sin
How to tell them apart
veNAL = for sALe, a bribable official. veNIAL has an extra I for a tINy, forgivable sin.
Test yourself
Fill in the blank: “Only one of these words means corruptible/bribable. That word is ______.”
Choose: venal or venial
Show answer
Answer: venal
Venal means corruptible/bribable, which matches corruptible/bribable. Venial means a minor/forgivable sin, so it is the wrong choice here.
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