corruption

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noun cor·rup·tion \ kə-ˈrəp-shən \

Definition of corruption

1 a :dishonest or illegal behavior especially by powerful people (such as government officials or police officers) :depravity

b :decay, decomposition

the corruption of a carcass

c :inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (such as bribery)

the corruption of government officials

d :a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct

the corruption of a text

the corruption of computer files

2 archaic :an agency or influence that corrupts

3 chiefly dialectal :pus

See corruption defined for English-language learners

See corruption defined for kids

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 of corruption from the Web

The charges against the family came as a tide of corruption investigations was sweeping across the region from Brazil to Guatemala.

— erik larson, Bloomberg.com, "Ex-Honduran Minister Pleads Guilty in Money Laundering Case," 29 Aug. 2017
And the reasons for the previous projects' failures - corruption, lack of infrastructure, the incompetence of the Afghan government, and a piecemeal American development strategy - all remain.

— chicagotribune.com, "Despite risks, Trump administration moves forward with Afghanistan mining plan," 29 Aug. 2017
Venezuela, rich in oil and poor in everything else, has been gutted by falling crude prices and rampant corruption that have led to widespread food shortages, hunger and an exodus.

— jim wyss, miamiherald, "Venezuelan lawmaker says hunger, not politics, will drive Maduro from power," 29 Aug. 2017
Judges in Los Angeles Superior Court are being asked to unseal records related to three search warrants approved in 2015 as part of the long-running criminal investigation into possible corruption within the California Public Utilities Commission.

— jeff mcdonald, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Judges in L.A. asked to unseal records in CPUC criminal probe," 22 Aug. 2017
Videos of Lake County Sheriff John Buncich that a jury viewed during the first week of his public corruption trial were released Wednesday.

— staff report, Post-Tribune, "Court releases videos of sheriff allegedly taking money that were played during his corruption trial," 16 Aug. 2017
But despite Mr Khan’s cricket-star appeal and his anti-corruption platform, his party has made little headway elsewhere.

— The Economist, "The pushmi-pullyuWhat makes Pakistan so unfathomable," 22 July 2017
Ukrainska Pravda was long a thorn in the side of Ukraine’s corruption-ridden elite.

— dmytro vlasov, The Seattle Times, "Year after reporter killed in Ukraine, no progress in probe," 20 July 2017
A speaker of the House was indicted on corruption charges and sent to federal prison during this time.

— hunter woodall and jason hancock, kansascity, "The Back & Forth: Summertime in Missouri and Kansas," 14 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'corruption.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of corruption

see ¹corrupt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

corruption Synonyms

Synonyms

breakdown, decay, decomposition, festering, putrefaction, putrescence, rot, spoilage

Antonyms

morality, virtue

Related Words

crumbling, disintegration, dissolution; curdling, fermentation, moldering, souring

Near Antonyms

growth, maturation, ripening

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

CORRUPTION Defined for English Language Learners

corruption

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noun

Definition of corruption for English Language Learners

: dishonest or illegal behavior especially by powerful people (such as government officials or police officers)
: the act of corrupting someone or something
: something that has been changed from its original form