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Mortal vs Venal - What's the difference?

mortal | venal |

As adjectives the difference between mortal and venal

is that mortal is susceptible to death by aging, sickness, injury, or wound; not immortal while venal is available for a price; venal.

As a noun mortal

is a human; someone susceptible to death.

mortal

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Susceptible to death by aging, sickness, injury, or wound; not immortal.
  • * 1883 , (Robert Louis Stevenson), :
    • I was in mortal fear lest the captain should repent of his confessions and make an end of me.
  • Causing death; deadly, fatal, killing, lethal (now only of wounds, injuries etc.).
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , III.11:
    • Blyndfold he was; and in his cruell fist / A mortall bow and arrowes keene did hold […].
  • Fatally vulnerable; vital.
  • * Milton
    • Last of all, against himself he turns his sword, but missing the mortal place, with his poniard finishes the work.
  • Of or relating to the time of death.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • Safe in the hand of one disposing Power, / Or in the natal or the mortal hour.
  • Affecting as if with power to kill; deathly.
  • * Dryden
    • The nymph grew pale, and in a mortal fright.
  • * mortal enemy
  • Human; belonging to man, who is mortal.
    • mortal''' wit or knowledge; '''mortal power
  • * Milton
    • The voice of God / To mortal ear is dreadful.
  • Very painful or tedious; wearisome.
    • a sermon lasting two mortal hours
    (Sir Walter Scott)
  • (UK, slang) Very drunk; wasted; smashed.
    • Let's go out and get mortal !

    Derived terms

    * mortality * mortal sin

    Synonyms

    * (causing death) fatal, lethal, baneful

    Antonyms

    * (susceptible to death) immortal, everlasting * (of or relating to death) natal

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A human; someone susceptible to death.
  • :
  • *1596 , (William Shakespeare), (w, A Midsummer Night's Dream)
  • *:Lord what fools these mortals be!
  • *
  • *:But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. ¶ There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window.

    • Antonyms

    * immortal

    venal

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • venous; pertaining to veins

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) , compare vend

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (archaic) For sale; available for purchase.
  • Of a position, privilege etc.: available for purchase rather than assigned on merit.
  • * 2002 , , The Great Nation , Penguin 2003, p. 140:
    • Thus, regimental commands in the army were – as with the judiciary or the financial bureaucracy – venal posts, which were purchased, bequeathed and sold among the nobility.
  • Capable of being bought (of a person); willing to take bribes.
  • Corrupt, mercenary.
  • * 1785 , The Times , 9 Feb 1785, page 1, column C:
    • Though there is a disposition in mankind, to declaim against the corruption and peculation of the present times, as being more venal than formerly; yet, if we look back to different periods, we shall find statesmen and politicians, as selfish and corrupt, (...) as those who have lately figured on the political stage.
    Synonyms
    * (for sale) purchasable * (willing to take bribes) crooked
    Antonyms
    * (willing to take bribes) straight, honest, uncorrupt
    Related terms
    * venally

    Anagrams

    * *