Venerable
adjective /ˈven.ər.ə.bəl/ — Accorded great respect due to age and wisdom
Definition
Accorded a great deal of respect — especially because of age, wisdom, or high character. Also used for institutions, buildings, or objects of great age and historical significance.
Beyond the definition
The dignity that age earns. A venerable person is not merely old — they are old in a way that the years have added to rather than subtracted from. Venerability must be earned.
Origin & history
From Latin 'venerabilis' (worthy of reverence) — from 'venerari' (to revere, to worship). Related to Venus — the quality of being worthy of the kind of devotion associated with love and worship.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The venerable professor had forgotten more about the subject than most of her students would ever know.
The institution had a venerable history — five hundred years of the same purpose, pursued in changing forms.
Venerable is not just old — it is old in a way that commands respect rather than sympathy.
Synonyms
revered, respected, distinguished, august, honoured
Antonyms
disrespected, young, upstart
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Old Book in Archive
An adult opens a heavy, ancient, handwritten record book in a dim, dusty, quiet archive.
The great age of the book and the solemn, dusty archive reflect the respect accorded to objects and institutions that have survived over centuries.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration