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 of corruption

• decomposition
• decay

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 archipelago has faced a drought that has led to severe water shortages in many cities, with government and agency incompetence (or worse, corruption) accused of worsening an already fraught crisis. — Juan J. Arroyo, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2026

The film follows an 11-year-old boy who exploits his brother’s tragic death to fight his father and his community, until his lies expose the hypocrisy and corruption beneath a seemingly moral society. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Then locally, there was a federal corruption investigation, the FBI was going into city hall, all those sorts of things. — Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Times when this line has fundamentally blurred, such as with Nixon and Watergate, have been some of the most notorious instances of overreach and corruption in our history. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see corrupt entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing corruption

• anti-corruption
• corruption of blood

Rhymes for corruption

• disruption
• eruption
• irruption
• incorruption
• interruption

Kids 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