venial

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: ve=ni=al

CIDE DICTIONARY

venial, a. [OF. venial, F. véniel, L. venialis, from venia forgiveness, pardon, grace, favor, kindness; akin to venerari to venerate. See Venerate.].

•  Capable of being forgiven; not heinous; excusable; pardonable; as, a venial fault or transgression.  [1913 Webster]

  "So they do nothing, 't is a venial slip."  [1913 Webster]
•  Allowed; permitted.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]

Venial sin (R. C. Theol.), a sin which weakens, but does not wholly destroy, sanctifying grace, as do mortal, or deadly, sins.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

venial, adj. (of a sin or fault) pardonable, excusable; not mortal.

Derivative

veniality n. venially adv. venialness n.

Etymology

ME f. OF f. LL venialis f. venia forgiveness

THESAURUS

venial

admissible, allowable, condonable, defensible, dispensable, excusable, exemptible, expiable, forgivable, harmless, inoffensive, insignificant, justifiable, legitimate, minor, pardonable, petty, reasonable, remissible, tolerable, tolerated, trifling, trivial, unimportant, unobjectionable, vindicable, warrantable

ROGET THESAURUS

venial

Vindication

N vindication, justification, warrant, exoneration, exculpation, acquittal, whitewashing, extenuation, palliation, palliative, softening, mitigation, reply, defense, recrimination, apology, gloss, varnish, plea, salvo, excuse, extenuating circumstances, allowance, allowance to be made, locus paenitentiae, apologist, vindicator, justifier, defendant, justifiable charge, true bill, v, justify, warrant, be an excuse for, lend a color, furnish a handle, vindicate, exculpate, disculpate, acquit, clear, set right, exonerate, whitewash, clear the skirts of, extenuate, palliate, excuse, soften, apologize, varnish, slur, gloze, put a gloss, put a good face upon, mince, gloss over, bolster up, help a lame dog over a stile, advocate, defend, plead one's cause, stand up for, stick up for, speak up for, contend for, speak for, bear out, keep in countenance, support, plead, say in defense, plead ignorance, confess and avoid, propugn, put in a good word for, take the will for the deed, make allowance for, give credit for, do justice to, give one his due, give the Devil his due, make good, prove the truth of, prove one's case, be justified by the event, vindicated, vindicating, exculpatory, apologetic, excusable, defensible, pardonable, venial, veniable, specious, plausible, justifiable, honi sot qui mal y pense, good wine needs no bush.

Innocence

N innocence, guiltlessness, incorruption, impeccability, clean hands, clear conscience, mens sibi conscia recti, innocent, lamb, dove, innocent, not guilty, unguilty, guiltless, faultless, sinless, stainless, bloodless, spotless, clear, immaculate, rectus in curia, unspotted, unblemished, unerring, undefiled, unhardened, Saturnian, Arcadian, inculpable, unculpable, unblamed, unblamable, blameless, unfallen, inerrable, above suspicion, irreproachable, irreprovable, irreprehensible, unexceptionable, unobjectionable, unimpeachable, salvable, venial, harmless, inoffensive, innoxious, innocuous, dove-like, lamb-like, pure, harmless as doves, innocent as a lamb, innocent as the babe unborn, more sinned against than sinning, virtuous, unreproved, unimpeached, unreproached, innocently, with clean hands, with a clear conscience, with a safe conscience, murus aeneus conscientia sana.