venerable

adjective

ven·​er·​a·​ble ˈve-nər(-ə)-bəl 

ˈven-rə-bəl

1

a

: calling forth respect through age, character, and attainments

a venerable jazz musician

broadly : conveying an impression of aged goodness and benevolence

encouraged by the venerable doctor's head-nodding

b

: impressive by reason of age

under venerable pines

2

: deserving to be venerated

—used as a title for an Anglican archdeacon or for a Roman Catholic who has been accorded the lowest of three degrees of recognition for sanctity

3

: made sacred especially by religious or historical association

venerability

ˌve-nə-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

ˌven-rə-

noun

venerableness

ˈve-nər(-ə)-bəl-nəs 

ˈven-rə-

noun

venerably

ˈve-nər(-ə)-blē 

ˈven-rə-

adverb

Synonyms

• hallowed
• revered
• reverend
• sacred
• venerated

Choose the Right Synonym for venerable

old, ancient, venerable, antique, antiquated, archaic, obsolete mean having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past.

old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence.

old houses

an old sweater of mine

ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past.

ancient accounts of dragons

venerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age.

the family's venerable patriarch

antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time.

collected antique Chippendale furniture

antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time.

antiquated teaching methods

archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time.

the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period

obsolete may apply to something regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence.

a computer that makes earlier models obsolete

Examples of venerable in a Sentence

[Julie] Powell never met Julia Child (who died last year), but the venerable chef's spirit is present throughout, and Powell imaginatively reconstructs episodes from Child's life in the 1940s. Her writing is feisty and unrestrained, especially as she details killing lobsters, tackling marrowbones and cooking late into the night. —Publishers Weekly, 13 June 2005

Under her stewardship, the onetime boardinghouse came to be heralded as the South's most venerable family restaurant, a reliquary of old-fashioned cooking—collard greens enriched with fatback, creamed corn straight from the cob, fried chicken with a pepper-flecked crust—where the tables groaned beneath the weight of a quintessential midday repast, and history stood still on the plate for all to admire. —John T. Edge, Gourmet, January 2003

The lower the P/E, as a rough rule of thumb, the cheaper the stock. Though this guide to value has lots of exceptions, it remains a venerable market benchmark. —Jonathan Weil, Wall Street Journal, 21 Aug. 2001

I then descended to the Courts of justice, over which the judges, those venerable sages and interpreters of the law, presided, for determining the disputed rights and properties of men, as well as for the punishment of vice, and protection of innocence. —Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels, 1726

the venerable old man was a cherished source of advice and wisdom for the villagers

a venerable tradition that colleges have been maintaining for centuries

Recent Examples on the Web

The first was at my hotel, the Four Seasons Hong Kong, renovated during the pandemic to retain its status as a venerable local institution. —Baz Dreisinger, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024

The thrilling fight sequences featuring some of the most venerable action stars in the biz? —Ew Staff, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2024

Fiora Cutler, a venerable Hollywood vocal coach, was on hand to make everyone feel safe and supported. —Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024

The establishment’s venerable status and prime location ensure that no matter where someone is coming from, the new store is always easy to find: just steps away from the neighborhood landmark. —Vogue, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin venerābilis "entitled to respect," from venerārī "to solicit the good will of (a deity), hold in awe, venerate" + -bilis "capable of (acting or being acted upon)" — more at -able

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

venerable

adjective

ven·​er·​a·​ble ˈven-ər(-ə)-bəl 

ˈven-rə-bəl

1

: deserving to be venerated

—often used as a religious title

2

: deserving honor or respect

a venerable leader

3

: impressive by reason of age

venerable pines