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
The law aims to curb corruption and undue influence in federal campaigns.
—
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
The mayor has denied the allegations in the past, even after several DOJ officials resigned following the Trump administration’s move to drop the corruption charges.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 28 June 2025
The daughter of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been accused of corruption, misusing public funds, and threatening to assassinate former ally and current president Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
—Cecilia Hult, Fortune, 28 June 2025
The Justice Department dropped the corruption charges, with Trump officials saying the corruption case interfered with Adams’ ability to enact the Republican administration’s immigration enforcement and his ability to run for re-election.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for corruption
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Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
The mayor has denied the allegations in the past, even after several DOJ officials resigned following the Trump administration’s move to drop the corruption charges.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 28 June 2025
The daughter of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been accused of corruption, misusing public funds, and threatening to assassinate former ally and current president Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
—Cecilia Hult, Fortune, 28 June 2025
The Justice Department dropped the corruption charges, with Trump officials saying the corruption case interfered with Adams’ ability to enact the Republican administration’s immigration enforcement and his ability to run for re-election.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for corruption
Cite this Entry
“Corruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corruption. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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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