venales

Venales is a Latin adjective meaning “for sale” or “saleable.” In classical Latin, it is used to describe objects that can be bought and, metaphorically, people who are susceptible to bribes. The form venales can appear as a plural description, and the term can also function as a substantive in some texts, referring to those considered bribable or corruptible.

Etymology and related forms: Venales is derived from venālis, itself related to venum, a word connected with sale or merchandise. The root meaning centers on exchange and purchase, and the same linguistic lineage leads to the English word venal, as well as the noun venality, which preserve the sense of corruption or susceptibility to bribery.

Usage and context: In Latin literature, venales appears in discussions of commerce, morals, and ethics, signaling either saleability or moral compromise. In modern English, the common forms are venal and venality, used to describe bribery, corruption, or the tendency to yield to monetary influence. Venales itself is rarely encountered outside Latin scholarship or translations of Latin works.

See also: venal, venality, venālis.