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Venal vs Vernal - What's the difference?

venal | vernal |

As an adjective venal

is available for a price; venal.

As a proper noun vernal is

a city in utah.

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

    Anagrams

    * *

    vernal

    English

    Alternative forms

    * vernall vernal, a.'' (and ''n.'') ” listed in the ''Oxford English Dictionary , second edition (1989)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Pertaining to spring.
  • Young; fresh. (rfex)
  • Belonging to youth.
  • * Thomson
  • when after the long vernal day of life
  • * Keble
  • And seems it hard thy vernal' years / Few ' vernal joys can show?

    Usage notes

    In everyday speech, used almost exclusively in phrase vernal equinox; in other contexts, spring is used attributively, as in spring colors'' or ''spring flowers, and even is frequently replaced with spring equinox.

    Antonyms

    * autumnal

    Coordinate terms

    * (pertaining to seasons) summer (summery), aestival/estival; winter (wintry), hibernal, brumal

    Derived terms

    * prevernal * vernal-bearded * vernal conjunctivitis * vernal crocus * vernal cyclamen * vernal equinox, vernal equinoctial * vernal gentian * vernal grass * vernality * vernalization * vernalize * vernal keratoconjunctivitis * vernally * vernal orobus * vernal pool * vernal sandwort * vernal season * vernal sedge * vernal-seeming * vernal speedwell * vernal squill * vernal stargrass * vernal starwort * vernal-tinctured

    References

    Anagrams

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