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
With a different school as the backdrop for each chapter, the series probes the ambitions, secrets, and corruptions that fester within institutions.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Mar. 2026
Last year’s protests against corruption and poor governance were triggered by a social media ban before building into a popular revolt against the government.
—Binaj Gurubacharya, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
The unrest was part of a global wave of protests led by young people fed up with corruption and rising costs.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 8 Mar. 2026
There’s also some of the content that’s emerged that really [highlights] activism at its highest level to show the exploitation and corruption that’s occurring on our planet.
—Gqlshare, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for corruption
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Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Mar. 2026
Last year’s protests against corruption and poor governance were triggered by a social media ban before building into a popular revolt against the government.
—Binaj Gurubacharya, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
The unrest was part of a global wave of protests led by young people fed up with corruption and rising costs.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 8 Mar. 2026
There’s also some of the content that’s emerged that really [highlights] activism at its highest level to show the exploitation and corruption that’s occurring on our planet.
—Gqlshare, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 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 11 Mar. 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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