corrupt practices act

American

noun

any of several U.S. statutes for ensuring the purity of elections by forbidding the purchase of votes, restricting the amount and source of political contributions, limiting campaign expenditures, and requiring the submission of an itemized statement of such expenditures.

Etymology

Origin of corrupt practices act

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The monitors are supervising areas like compliance with the foreign corrupt practices act and antitrust laws.

From New York Times • Apr. 15, 2014

The company said its forecast includes about $40m to $45m in first-quarter costs related to foreign corrupt practices act and compliance matters.

From The Guardian • Feb. 21, 2013

Fernando Maya, a sales representative for ABB Inc., pleaded guilty last year to having violated the corrupt practices act.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 24, 2010

Also pending is a $500,000 libel suit against Congressman George Holden Tinkham of Massachusetts, who called the Bishop a "shameless violator of the Federal corrupt practices act."

From Time Magazine Archive

Cicero, quotation from a letter in colloquial style, 75; his "corrupt practices act," 184; and Scaptius, 211; and Curio, 238-244; correspondence with Matius, 274-285.

From The Common People of Ancient Rome Studies of Roman Life and Literature by Abbott, Frank Frost

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023