English
venality
Venality may come from French vénalité.
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English venality
Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.
Lineage
- Frenchc. 1600–presentvénalitéWiktionary, English venalityuncertain
- EnglishtodayvenalityWiktionary, English venality
Formed from venal + -ity
Proto-Indo-European *wes- ‘to sell, buy’
…
Latin vēnum ‘something for sale’
Latin vēnālis ‘for sale’
Old French venel
French vénal
English venal
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *wes- ‘to sell, buy’
wear, invest, vest, bison, basmati, 25 more
through Latin vēnum ‘Forms two-place compound verbal expressions,…’
Today it means
noun The fact or state of being for sale, especially with reference to bribes or corruption.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “venality”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / French vénalité / venality