Was there ever a wider or more loving conspiracy than that which keeps the venerable figure of Santa Claus from slipping away, with all the other oldtime myths, into the forsaken wonderland of the past?
Source: tatoeba (5680735)
Venerable
/ˈvɛnəɹəbl/
Synonyms for "venerable" (186 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (38)
Adjective(12 words)
augustreveredage oldancient adjectiveancient civilizationancient civilization discoveriesancient civilizationsancient codesancient manuscriptancient siteancient societyarchdeacon
acknowledgedadmirableadmittedadvancedadvanced in lifeadvanced in yearsage-oldagedagelessalong in yearsancientantediluvianantiquearistocraticaugustauldawe inspiringawe-inspiringawesomeawful
Show 2 more words
Noun(4 words)
ancient cultureancient historiesancient kingdomancient mesopotamian cities
Strong matches (55)
courtlycreditablecustomarydatelessdignifieddivinedreadfulelderlyestablishedesteemedestimablefamousfixedfolkgrandgravegraygray with agegray-hairedgray-headed
Show 27 more words
greygrown oldhallowedhanded downheavenlyheld in esteemheroichighly esteemedhighly regardedhighly reputedhighly respectablehoarhoaryholyhonorablehonoredillustriousimmemorialimposingimpressivein favorin good odorin high favorineffableinenarrableinexpressibleinveterate
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (93)
inviolableinviolatekinglylegendaryloftylong establishedlong standinglong-establishedlong-standinglordlymagisterialmajesticmeritoriousmythologicalnoblenuminousof long standingof oldof the folkof yore
Show 59 more words
oldold as historyold as methuselahold as timeold-timeoldenoralpatriarchalpreciousprescriptiveprestigiousprincelyqueenlyreceivedrecognizedregalreligiousreputablerespectablerespectedreveredreverencedreverendreverentialrootedroyalsacredsacrosanctsedatesenectuoussobersolemnspiritualstatelystatuesquetime-honoredtimelesstimeworntraditionaltried and truetrue bluetrue-blueunderstoodunspeakableuntouchableunutterableunwrittenveneratedwell-thought-ofwhitewhite with agewhite-beardedwhite-crownedwhite-hairedworshipfulworthywrinkledwrinklyyears old
Adjective(10 words)
longstanding recordpatriarchredoubtablerespectedsagesenior groupthousand-year-oldtime honoredtitlewise elders
Determiner(1 words)
most ancient river valley
Adjective(1 words)
Noun(2 words)
senethousand-year history
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: august, revered, acknowledged, admirable, admitted.
- Sentence evidence is available for venerable, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "venerable".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "venerable"
Keep "venerable" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "venerable" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "venerable", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "venerable" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
8 entriesMore specific
11 entriesancient libraryarchdeaconelders councilesteemed professorgrandfathergrandmotherhistoric campushonored ancestorrevered eldersenior grouptime honored tradition
Collocations
10 entrieschurch honorificthe venerablevenerable archdeaconvenerable eldervenerable figurevenerable historyvenerable institutionvenerable professorvenerable rankvenerable tradition
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriessimilar
3 entriesSample sentences
11 total sentences available.
Within the palace, open to the day, / there stood a massive altar. Overhead, / with drooping boughs, a venerable bay / its shadowy foliage o'er the home-gods spread.
Source: tatoeba (6843929)
The venerable observatory, with its suite of cameras and other instruments, is expected to stay operational through the 2020s, in synergy with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope.
Source: tatoeba (8713580)
The Venerable Bede is regarded as one of the most important chroniclers of the early Middle Ages.
Source: tatoeba (10567948)
Showing 4 of 11 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "venerable"?
Closest matches include august, revered, acknowledged, admirable, admitted.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "venerable"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.