/ ˈvenərəbl; NAmE / adjective
1.
( formal ) venerable people or things deserve respect because they are old, important, wise, etc. :
a venerable old man
a venerable institution
2.
the Venerable ... [ only before noun ] (in the Anglican Church), a title of respect used when talking about an archdeacon :
the Venerable Martin Roberts
3.
the Venerable ... [ only before noun ] (in the Roman Catholic Church), a title given to a dead person who is very holy but who has not yet been made a saint
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French , or from Latin venerabilis , from the verb venerari .