(vē′nəl) adjective
1. Ready to sell honor or principle, or to accept a bribe; mercenary; purchasable: said of persons.
2. Subject to sordid bargaining or to corrupt influences; salable.
3. Characterized by corruption and venality. [<L venalis <venum sale]
—ve′nal·ly adverb Synonyms: hireling, mercenary, purchasable, salable. Mercenary has especial application to character or disposition; as, a mercenary spirit; mercenary motives
—that is, a spirit or motives to which money is the chief consideration or the moving principle. Thus, etymologically, the mercenary can be hired, while the venal are openly or actually for sale; hireling signifies serving for hire or pay, or having the spirit or character of one who works or of that which is done directly for hire or pay. The hireling, the mercenary, and the venal are alike in making principle, conscience, and honor of less account than gold or sordid considerations; but the mercenary and venal may be simply open to the bargain and sale which the hireling has already consummated. A public officer who makes his office tributary to private speculation is mercenary; if he receives a stipulated recompense for administering his office at the behest of some leader, faction, corporation, or the like, he is both hireling and venal; if he sells essential advantages, without subjecting himself to any direct domination, his course is venal, but not hireling. Antonyms: disinterested, honest, honorable, incorruptible, patriotic, unpurchasable.

(vē′nəl) adjective
Of or pertaining to the veins; venous. [<L vena vein]