Make Your Point > Archived Issues > VENAL

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"VENAL" Meaning: Someone venal is willing to be bribed. (You can offer money or other rewards to venal people, and they'll do what you ask, even if it's illegal or immoral.) And, something venal has to do with corruption or bribery. Pronunciation: VEEN ull Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like “large” or “late.” They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in “a venal politician.” 2. After a linking verb, as in "The politician was venal.”) Other forms: venally, venality How to use it: "Venal" often describes people. Talk about a venal judge, a venal politician, a venal boss, a venal member of the board, or even a whole venal group of people, like a venal jury or a venal society. You can also talk about venal things: venal support, venal favor, venal votes, venal intentions, venal motives, a venal disposition, venal crimes, venal tactics, venal positions or appointments, venal situations, a venal mood or a venal tone, venal traditions, etc. How many Twitter followers you have is no longer a valid indicator of popularity. Why? On Fiverr, there's an entire venal crowd who's ready, willing, and able to sell you hundreds of thousands of fake followers. I bet you've got some good stories about the more venal teachers and bosses you've had. And so do I! Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "venal" means when you can explain it without saying "unprincipled" or "money-grubbing." Think of a situation or incident (from real life, the news, or history) that seems really shady or unethical to you, and fill in the blank: "There was/is a distasteful venality surrounding the whole _____." Example: "There's a distasteful venality surrounding the whole monopoly on electricity on our island." Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words: Our October game references some material that may be protected by copyright. I appreciate your understanding as I err on the side of caution by not publishing it here! A Point Well Made: Henry Beston: “For a moment of night we have a glimpse of ourselves and of our world islanded in its stream of stars…” 1. The opposite of VENAL is A. IMPENETRABLE B. INCORRUPTIBLE C. ILLEGITIMATE 2. Maybe the star's venal reputation is undeserved--she _____. A. just turned down a million-dollar offer to use her songs in fast food commercials B. always stops to sign autographs for young kids, no matter how busy she is C. only yelled at that guy because he had said something obscene to her Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. A Exploring the archives: Like with dastardly, facade, and machinations, today's word is useful for talking about people who are hiding something... or people who are definitely up to no good.