corrupt

1 of 2

verb

cor·​rupt kə-ˈrəpt 

corrupted; corrupting; corrupts

transitive verb

1

a

: to change from good to bad in morals, manners, or actions

Officials were corrupted by greed.

was accused of corrupting the youth

also : bribe

b

: to degrade with unsound principles or moral values

Some fear the merger will corrupt the competitive marketplace.

2

: rot, spoil

The fruits were transported without being corrupted.

3

: to subject (a person) to corruption of blood

4

: to alter from the original or correct form or version

The file was corrupted.

intransitive verb

1

a

: to become tainted or rotten

leaving the bodies to corrupt on the field

b

: to become morally debased

2

: to cause disintegration or ruin

corrupter noun

or less commonly corruptor

kə-ˈrəp-tər 

corruptibility

kə-ˌrəp-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

corruptible

kə-ˈrəp-tə-bəl 

adjective

corruptibly

kə-ˈrəp-tə-blē 

adverb

corrupt

2 of 2

adjective

1

a

: morally degenerate and perverted : depraved

b

: characterized by improper conduct (such as bribery or the selling of favors)

corrupt judges

2

: putrid, tainted

3

: adulterated or debased by change from an original or correct condition

a corrupt version of the text

corruptly

kə-ˈrəp(t)-lē 

adverb

corruptness

kə-ˈrəp(t)-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

Verb

• break down
• decay
• decompose
• disintegrate
• fester
• foul
• mold
• molder
• perish [chiefly British]
• putrefy
• rot
• spoil

Adjective

• debased
• debauched
• decadent
• degenerate
• degraded
• demoralized
• depraved
• dissipated
• dissolute
• jackleg
• libertine
• loose
• perverse
• perverted
• rakehell
• rakehelly
• rakish
• reprobate
• sick
• unclean
• unwholesome
• warped

Choose the Right Synonym for corrupt

Verb

debase, vitiate, deprave, corrupt, debauch, pervert mean to cause deterioration or lowering in quality or character.

debase implies a loss of position, worth, value, or dignity.

commercialism has debased the holiday

vitiate implies a destruction of purity, validity, or effectiveness by allowing entrance of a fault or defect.

a foreign policy vitiated by partisanship

deprave implies moral deterioration by evil thoughts or influences.

the claim that society is depraved by pornography

corrupt implies loss of soundness, purity, or integrity.

the belief that bureaucratese corrupts the language

debauch implies a debasing through sensual indulgence.

the long stay on a tropical isle had debauched the ship's crew

pervert implies a twisting or distorting from what is natural or normal.

perverted the original goals of the institute

Adjective

vicious, villainous, iniquitous, nefarious, corrupt, degenerate mean highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct.

vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying moral depravity, or may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence.

a vicious gangster

villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic.

a villainous assault

iniquitous implies absence of all signs of justice or fairness.

an iniquitous system of taxation

nefarious suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct.

the nefarious rackets of organized crime

corrupt stresses a loss of moral integrity or probity causing betrayal of principle or sworn obligations.

city hall was rife with corrupt politicians

degenerate suggests having sunk to an especially vicious or enervated condition.

a degenerate regime propped up by foreign powers

Examples of corrupt in a Sentence

Verb

a politician corrupted by greed

music that corrupts the morals of children

corrupting the country's legal system

the corrupting influence of power

Their idealism has been corrupted by cynicism.

The file has been corrupted and no longer works properly.

a corrupted version of the ancient text

Adjective

The country's justice system is riddled with corrupt judges who accept bribes.

corrupt cops who sell drugs

the country's corrupt legal system

a corrupt version of the text

a corrupt computer file that no longer works properly

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Realizing to which extent the society was corrupted and how things were handled. —Marta Balaga, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024

Hackers can penetrate an update server to seed out their malware, or even break into the network where the software was developed to corrupt it at the source. —Andy Greenberg and Matt Burgess, WIRED, 3 Apr. 2024

Nobody can vote for Mr. Sonko, who was barred from running after being convicted of defamation and of corrupting a minor, after a young massage parlor employee accused him of rape. —Mady Camara, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024

Their journey into darkness is a violent portrayal of unchecked ambition and the corrupting influence of power. —David Catlin, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024

The movie is a lark, not a hard-hitting statement about how mass media corrupts the soul. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024

Olivers’s just another dastardly king en route to his castle, corrupted by excess. —Raven Smith, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2024

Despite the fact that the show’s key arcs are simple and familiar things — the scholarship students will change St. Gilbert’s, but not if St. Gilbert’s doesn’t corrupt them first — the handling of time and character evolution in Boarders is bizarrely choppy and frequently inconsistent. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024

Military patrols assigned to destroy crop fields can easily get corrupted by drug money. —Alma Guillermoprieto, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024

Adjective

Among the allegations made was one that said the company is controlled by corrupt dictators out of Venezuela. —Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024

In municipalities carved out of cartel hot spots, where the gangs run drug trafficking routes and infiltrate the production of cash crops, the seats have grown into the primary entry point for corrupt influence, experts say. —David Shortell, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024

Garland never explicates the real-life lead-up to civil destruction: corrupt pols who betray their constituents, the moral bankruptcy of society, the degradation of popular culture, and the temerity of rich journalists dedicated to whatever political power endows their privilege. —Armond White, National Review, 12 Apr. 2024

That has given rise to a good deal of corrupt document-fixing, which leaves workers vulnerable to police pressure. —Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2024

Greedy merchants, corrupt Hamas officials, and criminal enterprises regularly seize aid meant to be distributed for free and resell it at highly inflated prices. —Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024

Sometimes the victims are allowed to go free after the gangs take their money, given the low probability of their going for help to a local police force often seen as corrupt and in alliance with the gangs. —Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024

After years of backing corrupt and undemocratic leaders, the U.S. government has a chance to back Haitians promoting democracy and the rule of law. —Pierre Esperance, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2024

Some commenters took this as proof the case against Trump was corrupt. —Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Latin corruptus, past participle of corrumpere, from com- + rumpere to break — more at reave

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin corruptus — see corrupt entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

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

Adjective

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

Kids Definition

corrupt

1 of 2 verb

cor·​rupt kə-ˈrəpt 

1

: to change from good to bad in morals, manners, or actions

especially : to influence a public official improperly

2

: rot entry 1 sense 1a, spoil

3

: to change from the original or correct form or version

corrupt a text

4

: to become debased

corrupter noun

also corruptor

-ˈrəp-tər 

corrupt

2 of 2 adjective

1

: morally corrupted : depraved

2

: characterized by improper conduct

a corrupt government

corruptly

-ˈrəp(t)-lē 

adverb

corruptness

-ˈrəp(t)-nəs 

noun

Etymology

Verb

Middle English corrupten "change from good to bad, corrupt," from Latin corruptus "corrupted," from corrumpere "to corrupt," from cor-, com- "with" and rumpere "to break" — related to abrupt, rupture

Legal Definition

corrupt

1 of 2 adjective

cor·​rupt

kə-ˈrəpt

: having an unlawful or evil motive

especially : characterized by improper and usually unlawful conduct intended to secure a benefit for oneself or another (as by taking or giving bribes)

corruptly adjective

corruptness noun

corrupt

2 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to change from good to bad in principles or moral values

corrupting a minor

2

: to subject (a person) to corruption of blood

corruptibility

kə-ˌrəp-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

corruptible

kə-ˈrəp-tə-bəl 

adjective

corruptibly adverb

corruption

kə-ˈrəp-shən 

noun