Venal means willing to do dishonest or unethical things for money or personal gain. A venal person can be bribed or bought off, abandoning their principles or responsibilities for payment.

When a referee makes venal calls in a game, accepting money to favor one team over another, they betray the trust everyone placed in them to be fair. When a public official takes bribes to approve things that harm their community, that's venal corruption. The key is that venal people know what they're doing is wrong, but they choose money over doing what's right.

Think of it as someone putting their integrity up for sale: everything they should stand for can be purchased by the highest bidder. A venal politician might vote against their own constituents' interests if someone pays them enough. A venal inspector might overlook safety violations for cash.

Venal differs from simply being greedy. Greedy people want lots of money but might earn it honestly. Venal people are willing to compromise their duties, break rules, or betray trust specifically to get paid. Being venal means abandoning your responsibilities and principles for money, not merely desiring wealth.