WORD OF THE WEEK: Venal

Summary: Short but sweet, today's post gives you the low-down on a dirty practice defined by this week's word.

This week's WOW is also today's (Monday's) Word of the Day at Merriam-Webster.com: venal.

Venal (VEE - nuhl) - (adj.) capable of being bought, bribed or otherwise corrupted; also associated with or characterized by bribery. The word comes from the Latin venum, which "simply refer(s) to something sold or for sale" (M-W.com). Perhaps from the common occurrences of cheating, bribing and other questionable merchant's practices, the word—entered into English in the 1600s with the simpler definition of bargaining or haggling—began to take on a slightly more sinister definition. Vend has the same root word heritage, but has kept its straightforward meaning.

Click here to read about the similar-sounding but unrelated word venial, along with even more about this week's word.

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