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
Running mate’s populist appeal boosts Paz Paz’s campaign was boosted by his running mate Edman Lara, a former police officer known for viral TikTok videos exposing corruption.
—
Reuters 3 Min Ago, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025
As investigators dig deeper, more disturbing secrets emerge, including financial fraud, addiction, mysterious deaths and corruption.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
Contact Public Investigator Government corruption.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Haley Willis is a Times reporter with the Visual Investigations team, covering conflict, corruption and human rights.
—Danny Makki, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for corruption
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Reuters 3 Min Ago, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025
As investigators dig deeper, more disturbing secrets emerge, including financial fraud, addiction, mysterious deaths and corruption.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
Contact Public Investigator Government corruption.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Haley Willis is a Times reporter with the Visual Investigations team, covering conflict, corruption and human rights.
—Danny Makki, New York Times, 16 Oct. 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 22 Oct. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share