Venality

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /vɪˈnælɪti/

Definitions

1. The state of being prone to corruption and bribery leads to unethical conduct for monetary benefits and reflects a willingness to compromise integrity for personal gain
2. The quality of being susceptible to bribery and willing to sacrifice morals for financial gain
3. A tendency to accept illicit payments or engage in unethical acts motivated by profit

Etymology: Latin "vēnum" meant "something for sale," and the Roman word "vēnālis" described anything that could be bought, which is where the English adjective "venal" starts. The noun "venality" is simply that adjective plus the suffix "-ity," which turns a quality into a state or condition. So what began as a plain description of goods on a market stall came to describe people who can be bought. The link to a familiar English word is a useful one. "Vend," meaning to sell, comes from the same Latin root, so a vendor and a venal person share an ancestor. The French form "vénalité" passed the idea along, and the Latin "vēnālitās" sits behind it, showing how the word moved from trade in objects to the buying of loyalty and judgment.

Synonyms: corruption, bribery, dishonesty

Antonyms: integrity, honesty, uprightness