veniam

Veniam is the Latin accusative singular form of venia, a feminine noun of the first declension. Venia itself denotes pardon, mercy, forgiveness, or clemency, and it can also mean permission or leave to act. In classical and later Latin, the concept of venia covers both the act of forgiving an offense and the authorization to proceed with an action, reflecting a sense of clemency granted by one in authority.

In usage, venia appears in expressions related to pardons or permissions. A common sense is to speak of giving or requesting venia, as in phrases meaning “to grant pardon” or “to seek pardon.” The noun also occurs in theological and legal contexts in which mercy or dispensation is discussed. As a grammatical form, venia is the base noun, with other cases and numbers adapting to sentence requirements in Latin.

The word has yielded a productive English derivative: venial, from the Latin venialis, meaning pardonable or minor in degree. The related noun veniality and the verb venialize are rarer attenuations, but venial is widely used in religious and moral language to describe sins that are considered easily forgiven and not mortal in weight. The concept of venia also informs discussions of permission, grace, and clemency in Latin literature and in historical/legal texts that explore authority, mercy, and the granting of pardon.

See also: venia (Latin), venial, mercy, forgiveness, permission.