Venial Vee Nee Uhl Adjective Easily Excused Wrong Sin Opposed

[From Latin venia (forgiveness). Ultimately from the Indo-European root wen- (to desire or to strive for), which is also the source of wish, win, ween, overweening, venerate, venison, Venus, and banyan. Earliest documented use: before 1300.]

"Wealthy fraudsters are given chieftaincy titles and venerated, and their nefarious deeds are euphemistically tagged venial." - Chiedu Uche Okoye; Victims of Illusion; Daily Independent (Nigeria); Jun 27, 2011.

"The production takes a few venial liberties with the text." - Ben Brantley; Railing at a Money-Mad World; The New York Times; Jul 1, 2010.