venal
Willing to sell
Venal describes someone who can be bribed or corrupted by money—willing to sell their principles, influence, or position for personal gain.
The word typically applies to public officials or those in positions of trust: a venal politician, a venal judge.
Venal systems are those where corruption has become routine: The venal bureaucracy demanded payment at every step.
Available for purchase
- purchasableAvailable for acquisition
- bribableAble to be bought
- compromisedMade vulnerable to harm
- taintedContaminated, made impure
crooked · bent · dirty · bought · owned · suborned · tampered · fixed
Dishonest abuse of power
- graftIllicit political gain
- kickbackIllegal payment for services
- payoffCulminating benefit received
- baksheeshGratuity or small bribe
under-the-table · backhander · sweetener · palm-greasing · inducement · patronage · favors · fix
Excessive desire for riches
- covetousnessExcessive desire for possessions
- rapacityAggressive, seizing greed
- acquisitivenessDesire to gather wealth
- cupidityEager desire for riches
money-hungry · grasping · avaricious · materialistic · insatiable · gold-digging · profiteering · mammon
Benefiting oneself primarily
- opportunisticExploiting circumstances for gain
- money-grubbingObsessively seeking wealth
- hiredGiven employment
- gun-for-hirePaid killer for clients
calculating · exploitative · ambulance-chasing · sellout · turncoat · quisling
buyable
Available for purchase
- purchasableAvailable for acquisition
- bribableAble to be bought
- compromisedMade vulnerable to harm
tainted · crooked · bent · dirty · bought · owned · suborned · tampered · fixed · rigged
corruption
Dishonest abuse of power
baksheesh · under-the-table · backhander · sweetener · palm-greasing · inducement · patronage · favors · fix · quid-pro-quo
avarice
Excessive desire for riches
- covetousnessExcessive desire for possessions
- rapacityAggressive, seizing greed
- acquisitivenessDesire to gather wealth
cupidity · money-hungry · grasping · avaricious · materialistic · insatiable · gold-digging · profiteering · mammon
self-serving
Benefiting oneself primarily
- opportunisticExploiting circumstances for gain
- money-grubbingObsessively seeking wealth
- hiredGiven employment
gun-for-hire · calculating · exploitative · ambulance-chasing · sellout · turncoat · quisling
- wickedevil, wicked, villainous, malicious, sinister
venalincorruptible
Impossible to morally compromise
unbribable · unpurchasable · incorrupt · above reproach · unimpeachable
venalprincipled
Having strong moral beliefs
honest · upright · honorable · honourable · scrupulous
venalselfless
Concerned with others' welfare
disinterested · altruistic · public-spirited · patriotic · idealistic