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
However, Magyar has vowed to bring home billions in funding the EU has suspended to Hungary over its concerns that Orbán has eroded democratic institutions, reduced judicial independence and failed to tackle corruption.
—
Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2026
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party had languished in the opposition for much of the last decade; its leader, Tarique Rahman, went into exile in 2008 following corruption allegations.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 15 Feb. 2026
Congressmember Jorge Ramos, a former mayor of Tijuana, called for action to combat corruption within law enforcement.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
The incident came to light after two DEA whistleblowers accused the agency of failing to address the allegations involving corruption in its Haiti operations.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for corruption
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Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2026
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party had languished in the opposition for much of the last decade; its leader, Tarique Rahman, went into exile in 2008 following corruption allegations.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 15 Feb. 2026
Congressmember Jorge Ramos, a former mayor of Tijuana, called for action to combat corruption within law enforcement.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
The incident came to light after two DEA whistleblowers accused the agency of failing to address the allegations involving corruption in its Haiti operations.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 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 18 Feb. 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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