| 释义 |
venality|vɪˈnælɪtɪ|
[ad. F. vénalité, or late L. vēnālitās, f. vēnālis venal a.1 So It. venalità, Sp. venalidad, Pg. -idade.]
1. The quality or fact of being for sale. rare.
1611Cotgr., Venalitie, venalitie, vendiblenesse; a being salable; a letting or setting vnto sale. [Hence in Blount (1656).] 1820Ranken Hist. France VII. i. ii. 158 They proposed..to abolish altogether the venality of offices, which would have cut off one of the principal sources of finance in the state. 1874Tyrwhitt Sketch. Club 168 The intense vulgarity of so much English work comes direct from its venality.
2. The quality of being venal; readiness to give support or favour in return for profit or reward; prostitution of talents or principles for mercenary considerations.
a1683Sidney Disc. Govt. ii. xxv. (1704) 183 Such as will rise, must render themselves conformable in all corruption and venality. 1734tr. Rollin's Rom. Hist. (1827) III. 288 A soul superior to venality and views of interest. 1749Bolingbroke Lett. Patriotism, etc. 128 Want is the consequence of profusion, venality of want, and dependance of venality. 1836Thirlwall Greece xxiii. III. 309 It only proves the opinion generally entertained of Spartan venality. 1874Green Short Hist. ix. §3. 622 His pride and venality had made him unpopular with the nation at large. |