corruption

[kuh-ruhp-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of corrupting or state of being corrupt.

   Antonyms: purity

2. moral perversion; depravity.

   Synonyms: immorality, dissolution
   Antonyms: purity

3. perversion of integrity.

   Antonyms: honesty, purity

4. corrupt or dishonest proceedings.

   Antonyms: honesty

5. bribery.

6. debasement or alteration, as of language or a text.

7. a debased form of a word.

8. putrefactive decay; rottenness.

   Synonyms: contamination, pollution, foulness, putrescence, putrefaction, rot

9. any corrupting influence or agency.

10. Computers.,  the state of being compromised by errors in computer code or stored data, or an action that causes such errors.

    The system crash was the result of previously undetected data corruption.

corruption

/ kəˈrʌpʃən /

noun

1. the act of corrupting or state of being corrupt

2. moral perversion; depravity

3. dishonesty, esp bribery

4. putrefaction or decay

5. alteration, as of a manuscript

6. an altered form of a word

Other Word Forms

• anticorruption noun
• overcorruption noun
• precorruption noun
• corruptionist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of corruption¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English cor(r)upcio(u)n, from Middle French, from Latin corruptiōn-, stem of corruptiō; corrupt, -ion

Example Sentences

Small town newspapers write about local politics and corruption that national outlets aren’t obliged to cover.

From Salon

The service would "always work hard to prosecute corruption of this nature", Mr McHaffie added.

From BBC

But there are other systemic issues driving the public anger: political corruption, social inequality and economic headwinds from which the rich and powerful seem unfairly insulated.

From BBC

“I know when law is not enforced what chaos and corruption results,” said Chotev, as protesters shouted into megaphones nearby.

From Los Angeles Times

Engonga used to investigate crimes such as money laundering, but found himself at the infamous Black Beach prison in the capital, Malabo, after being accused of corruption.

From BBC

Related Words

• bribery 
• crime 
• exploitation 
• extortion 
• fraud 
• graft 
• malfeasance 
• nepotism 

When To Use

What does corruption mean?

Corruption most commonly refers to a state in which members of organizations or institutions are engaging in illegal or otherwise dishonest practices to benefit themselves.The term is most often used in the context of such rulebreaking by people who are powerful or who are responsible for the well-being of others, such as politicians, government officials, and police officers.Corruption is a noun form of corrupt, which can be an adjective used to describe people who act in this way (or their actions), or a verb meaning to destroy the integrity of someone or something or cause someone to be dishonest.More generally, corruption can refer to the act or process of someone or something becoming corrupt, depraved, or debased.More specifically, corruption can refer to the alteration of a word or text in a way that deviates from its original or intended form.Example: The investigation revealed a long history of corruption within the agency that extends to its highest ranks.