adjective
- able to be forgiven or excused; not seriously wrong
Usage: often used in religious contexts
Examples
- The priest assured her that lying to spare someone’s feelings was a venial sin.
- His tardiness was a venial offense that the boss overlooked.
- She considered gossiping about celebrities to be a venial transgression.
- The student’s venial mistake on the test didn’t affect his grade significantly.
- In Catholic doctrine, venial sins do not result in eternal damnation.
- The judge viewed the defendant’s actions as venial rather than criminal.