corruption
noun
cor·rup·tion
kə-ˈrəp-shən 
1
a
: dishonest or illegal behavior especially by powerful people (such as government officials or police officers) : depravity
b
: inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (such as bribery)
the corruption of government officials
c
: a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct
the corruption of a text
the corruption of computer files
d
: decay, decomposition
the corruption of a carcass
2
chiefly dialectal
: pus
3
archaic
: an agency or influence that corrupts
Examples of corruption in a Sentence
There are rumors of widespread corruption in the city government.
the mafia's corruption of public officials
corruption of the English language
computer software that is supposed to prevent the corruption of files
the corruption of a text
Recent Examples on the Web
This is about the corruption and megalomania of one person.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 June 2026
Alongside that, South Africa’s police force has been embroiled in scandal, accused of corruption and collusion with criminal syndicates.
—Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
Flynn mentioned that his past push for a standalone Council ethics committee was killed by the Council, soon after former Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson was arrested and indicted by the feds on public corruption charges.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 13 June 2026
The Rowland corruption investigators did not know about a free hot tub at a lakeside cottage or the kitchen cabinets inside.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for corruption
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Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 June 2026
Alongside that, South Africa’s police force has been embroiled in scandal, accused of corruption and collusion with criminal syndicates.
—Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
Flynn mentioned that his past push for a standalone Council ethics committee was killed by the Council, soon after former Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson was arrested and indicted by the feds on public corruption charges.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 13 June 2026
The Rowland corruption investigators did not know about a free hot tub at a lakeside cottage or the kitchen cabinets inside.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for corruption
Cite this Entry
“Corruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corruption. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
corruption
noun
cor·rup·tion
kə-ˈrəp-shən
1
: physical decay or rotting
2
: dishonest or evil behavior
3
: the causing of someone else to do wrong (as by bribery)
4
: a change from the original or for the worse
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