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
Synonyms
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
Rocco Conte Officially corrupt Flushing: Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey has been found guilty in a federal corruption trial.
—
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 July 2024
The Metropolitan Crime Commission, a Louisiana non-profit that works to expose public corruption, has filed two complaints against Vappie over his involvement with Cantrell, WVUE-DT reported.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 22 July 2024
The health system is also under scrutiny by the Justice Department, which recently launched a criminal investigation into the company over allegations of fraud and corruption, according to Michael Kaplan of CBS News.
—Mckenzie Beard, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
Smith stepped down in 2022, and then was found guilty in a civil corruption trial to remove her from office that continued after her resignation.
—Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 18 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for corruption 
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 July 2024
The Metropolitan Crime Commission, a Louisiana non-profit that works to expose public corruption, has filed two complaints against Vappie over his involvement with Cantrell, WVUE-DT reported.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 22 July 2024
The health system is also under scrutiny by the Justice Department, which recently launched a criminal investigation into the company over allegations of fraud and corruption, according to Michael Kaplan of CBS News.
—Mckenzie Beard, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
Smith stepped down in 2022, and then was found guilty in a civil corruption trial to remove her from office that continued after her resignation.
—Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 18 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for corruption
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'corruption.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near corruption
Cite this Entry
“Corruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corruption. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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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