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
There were participants in our cohort who remained rightfully critical of our utopian aims, our spectrum of privilege, and our position as cultural workers living through global extinction, famine, corruption, and violence in all its forms.
—
Catherine Taft, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
But the office has released nothing so far that recommends changes to a school district that has been dogged for years by complaints of corruption and mismanagement.
—Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
In other words, if Hollywood had an awards show for public corruption trials, this case would be at home watching it and moping that it didn’t get nominated.
—Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 1 Feb. 2026
Delcy Rodríguez said Friday that the amnesty would apply to cases from 1999 to the present, but would exclude those prosecuted for homicide, drug trafficking, corruption and human rights violations.
—Anabella González, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
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.
Catherine Taft, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
But the office has released nothing so far that recommends changes to a school district that has been dogged for years by complaints of corruption and mismanagement.
—Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
In other words, if Hollywood had an awards show for public corruption trials, this case would be at home watching it and moping that it didn’t get nominated.
—Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 1 Feb. 2026
Delcy Rodríguez said Friday that the amnesty would apply to cases from 1999 to the present, but would exclude those prosecuted for homicide, drug trafficking, corruption and human rights violations.
—Anabella González, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 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 4 Feb. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
