Standard Lemma guide

venerable

adj · noun · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈvɛnəɹəbl/
  • /ˈvɛnɹəbl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: V EH1 N ER0 AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Worthy of reverence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: estimable, honorable, respectable

Antonyms: contemptible

3

adj

Meaning 3

Ancient, antiquated or archaic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aged, dated, hoary, ancient, age-old, antediluvian, auld, cobwebbed, cobwebby, decrepit, eld, eldern, gamol, gray, moss-grown, old, old as the hills, old as the Pyramids, olden, older than dirt, older than the hills, older than the Pyramids, venerable, wintry, anachronistic, antediluvial, antiquated, antique, archaic, backward, backwards, behind the times, defunct, desuete, discontinued, disused, dootsie, elderly, extinct, expired, fossilized, Havishamesque, idle, Miss Havishamesque, mouldy, obsolete, oldfangled, old-fashioned, old school, outdated, outmoded, out of date, out of fashion, outworn, parachronistic, passé, primitive, superannuated, superseded, unemployed, unoccupied, workless

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Made sacred especially by religious or historical association.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Giving an impression of aged goodness and benevolence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

A form of address for an archdeacon in the Anglican Church.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adj

Meaning 7

The description in the Roman Catholic Church of someone in the first stages of canonisation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adj

Meaning 8

The description of some saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A title indicating respect, prefixed to the names of Buddhist monks and nuns.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Singapore

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

profoundly honored

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • revered holy men

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: august, revered

Antonyms: none provided

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

impressive by reason of age

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a venerable sage with white hair and beard

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle French vénérable, from Old French, from Latin venerabilis.

Across languages

Translations

97 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: qocaman — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Bulgarian: уважаван (uvažavan) — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Chinese Mandarin: 德高望重的 (dégāowàngzhòng de) — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Czech: ctihodný — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Czech: vážený — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Finnish: kunnioitettava — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • French: vénérable — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Galician: respetábel — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Georgian: საპატიო (saṗaṭio) — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Georgian: პატივსაცემი (ṗaṭivsacemi) — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • German: ehrwürdig — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • German: geschätzt — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • German: respektabel — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Greek: σεβάσμιος (sevásmios) — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Ancient Greek: σεβάσμιος (sebásmios) — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Hindi: श्रद्धास्पद (śraddhāspad) — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Hungarian: patinás — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Hungarian: tiszteletet ébresztő/parancsoló — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Icelandic: virðulegur — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Icelandic: æruverðugur — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Icelandic: sem vekur virðingu — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Italian: venerabile — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Italian: venerando — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Italian: onorevole — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Italian: rispettabile — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Kazakh: абзал (abzal) — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Latin: venerābilis — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Macedonian: почи́туван (počítuvan) — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Macedonian: у́важен (úvažen) — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Polish: szacowny — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Polish: czcigodny — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Russian: уважа́емый (uvažájemyj) — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Spanish: venerable — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Swedish: respektabel — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Swedish: vördad — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Telugu: పూజ్యము (pūjyamu) — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Turkish: muhterem — commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position
  • Bulgarian: почитан (počitan) — worthy of reverence
  • Chinese Mandarin: 可敬 (kějìng) — worthy of reverence
  • Czech: ctihodný — worthy of reverence
  • Finnish: kunnioitettava — worthy of reverence
  • French: vénérable — worthy of reverence
  • Galician: venerábel — worthy of reverence
  • Georgian: ღირსი (ɣirsi) — worthy of reverence
  • Georgian: საპატიო (saṗaṭio) — worthy of reverence
  • Georgian: პატივსაცემი (ṗaṭivsacemi) — worthy of reverence
  • German: verehrenswert — worthy of reverence
  • German: verehrungswürdig — worthy of reverence
  • Ancient Greek: σεβαστός (sebastós) — worthy of reverence
  • Hindi: श्रद्धास्पद (śraddhāspad) — worthy of reverence
  • Hungarian: tiszteletre méltó — worthy of reverence
  • Icelandic: virðulegur — worthy of reverence
  • Icelandic: æruverðugur — worthy of reverence
  • Icelandic: sem vekur virðingu — worthy of reverence
  • Japanese: 敬うべき (uyamau beki) — worthy of reverence
  • Japanese: 崇高な (sūko na) — worthy of reverence
  • Japanese: 立派な (rippa na) — worthy of reverence
  • Kazakh: абзал (abzal) — worthy of reverence
  • Macedonian: почи́туван (počítuvan) — worthy of reverence
  • Macedonian: до́стоен (dóstoen) — worthy of reverence
  • Polish: czcigodny — worthy of reverence
  • Russian: достопочтенный (dostopočtennyj) — worthy of reverence
  • Spanish: venerable — worthy of reverence
  • Swedish: ärevördig — worthy of reverence
  • Turkish: saygıdeğer — worthy of reverence
  • Czech: ctihodný — ancient, antiquated or archaic
  • Finnish: vanhanaikainen — ancient, antiquated or archaic
  • French: vénérable — ancient, antiquated or archaic
  • Georgian: ძველი (ʒveli) — ancient, antiquated or archaic
  • German: veraltet — ancient, antiquated or archaic
  • German: anachronistisch — ancient, antiquated or archaic
  • German: archaisch — ancient, antiquated or archaic
  • Hungarian: ősi — ancient, antiquated or archaic
  • Hungarian: ódon — ancient, antiquated or archaic
  • Macedonian: дре́вен (dréven) — ancient, antiquated or archaic
  • Polish: sędziwy — ancient, antiquated or archaic
  • Russian: дре́вний (drévnij) — ancient, antiquated or archaic
  • Swedish: ärevördig — ancient, antiquated or archaic
  • Bulgarian: преподобен (prepodoben) — sacred by association
  • French: vénérable — sacred by association
  • Georgian: ღირსი (ɣirsi) — sacred by association
  • German: geheiligt — sacred by association
  • Hungarian: tisztelendő — sacred by association
  • Hungarian: nagytiszteletű — sacred by association
  • Hungarian: tiszteletre méltó — sacred by association
  • Italian: sacro — sacred by association
  • Italian: sacra — sacred by association
  • French: vénérable — radiating goodness and benevolence
  • Georgian: მოწყალე (moc̣q̇ale) — radiating goodness and benevolence
  • German: gütig — radiating goodness and benevolence
  • Macedonian: ми́лостив (mílostiv) — radiating goodness and benevolence
  • Russian: милостивый (milostivyj) — radiating goodness and benevolence
  • Ukrainian: пошти́вний (poštývnyj) — radiating goodness and benevolence
  • Finnish: kunnianarvoisa — form of address for an archdeacon in the Anglican Church
  • Basque: agurgarri — description in the Roman Catholic Church of someone in the first stages of canonisation
  • Finnish: kunnioitettava — description in the Roman Catholic Church of someone in the first stages of canonisation
  • Finnish: kunnioitettava — description of some saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church