veniality

English

Etymology

venial +‎ -ity

Noun

veniality (countable and uncountable, plural venialities)

1. (uncountable) The quality of being venial (pardonable).

   Synonym: venialness

   • 1903, Carter Goodloe, Calvert of Strathore‎^[1]:

     When he heard him in after years accused of shameless veniality, of trickery, lying, duplicity, even murder, he always remembered that impulsive revelation--never repeated--of a warped, unhappy childhood, of a perverted destiny. Mr. Morris came to him later as he stood leaning against the wall behind the chair of Madame de Chastellux. "

   • 1905, Thomas W. Lawson, Frenzied Finance‎^[2]:

     However enraged I might be at the new revelation of Addicks' extraordinary veniality, the other elements in the situation remained as before.

2. (countable) A venial (pardonable) action or an instance of venial behaviour.

   Synonym: peccadillo

Usage notes

Do not confuse veniality (“mildly wrong behavior”) with venality (“bribability/corruptibility”).

Translations

quality of being venial

• German: Lässlichkeit f, Läßlichkeit f (old spelling), Entschuldbarkeit f

venial action

• German: Lässlichkeit f, Läßlichkeit f (old spelling)