Veniality

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being forgivable or minor in severity, especially regarding a sin or offense that does not warrant serious punishment
2. The characteristic of a sin or error that is slight enough to be excused or pardoned
3. A quality describing offenses that are considered insignificant enough to warrant mercy

Etymology: "Venial" comes from Latin "venialis," meaning "pardonable" or "excusable," built from "venia," "forgiveness" or "indulgence." The word's core idea is therefore pardon, not smallness. In Christian theology, a venial sin was one that could be forgiven without the grave consequences of a mortal sin, and that theological sense is where the word's modern association with minor wrongdoing comes from. "Veniality" simply adds the English suffix "-ity," which turns an adjective into a noun meaning "the quality of being" something. So veniality names the quality of a fault that is forgivable rather than serious. Its use is mostly confined to moral, theological and legal discussion, where the contrast with grave or mortal offenses matters.