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
Officials also pledged to overhaul the country’s foreign exchange subsidies system to bring direct support for consumers, shifting away from subsidizing importers, which have long been criticized as vulnerable to corruption.
—
Anniek Bao, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2026
Cabello has served as head of Venezuela’s National Integrated Service of Customs and Tax Administration, giving him control over customs, ports and tax collection—key leverage points in an economy marked by sanctions, smuggling and corruption.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
While Rodríguez played a key role in overhauling Venezuela’s economic policy, developing close ties with the business community, she has also been accused of corruption and human rights abuses as part of Maduro’s inner circle.
—Mariana Alfaro, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026
Advertisement Venezuela is home to the world’s largest oil reserves, but its oil industry has been hit by sanctions and riddled with problems from corruption to fires that have dramatically reduced its output.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for corruption
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Anniek Bao, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2026
Cabello has served as head of Venezuela’s National Integrated Service of Customs and Tax Administration, giving him control over customs, ports and tax collection—key leverage points in an economy marked by sanctions, smuggling and corruption.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
While Rodríguez played a key role in overhauling Venezuela’s economic policy, developing close ties with the business community, she has also been accused of corruption and human rights abuses as part of Maduro’s inner circle.
—Mariana Alfaro, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026
Advertisement Venezuela is home to the world’s largest oil reserves, but its oil industry has been hit by sanctions and riddled with problems from corruption to fires that have dramatically reduced its output.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 5 Jan. 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 6 Jan. 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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