corrupt

[ kuh-ruhpt ]

/ kəˈrʌpt /

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See synonyms for: corrupt / corrupted / corrupting / corruptive on Thesaurus.com

adjective

guilty of dishonest practices, as bribery; lacking integrity; crooked: a corrupt judge.

debased in character; depraved; perverted; wicked; evil: a corrupt society.

(of a text) made inferior by errors or alterations: Scholars compared the corrupt Alexandrian manuscript with a more reliable Greek translation.

infected; tainted.

Archaic. decayed; putrid.

Computers. relating to or designating computer code or stored data that contains errors: If the corrupt file won’t open, restore a previous save.

verb (used with object)

to destroy the integrity of; cause to be dishonest, disloyal, etc., especially by bribery.

to lower morally; pervert: to corrupt youth.

to alter (a language, text, etc.) for the worse; debase.

to mar; spoil.

to infect; taint.

Archaic. to make putrid or putrescent.

Computers. to introduce errors in (computer code or stored data) when saving, transmitting, or retrieving it: I downloaded some free modifications that corrupted the core program, so I can’t open it until I uninstall and reinstall the original version.

English Law. (in historical use) to subject (an attainted person) to corruption of blood.

verb (used without object)

to become corrupt.

OTHER WORDS FOR corrupt

1 false, trustworthy.

4 contaminated.

5 putrescent, rotten, decomposed, spoiled.

7 bribe, buy, suborn; demoralize.

8 debase, vitiate.

11 contaminate, pollute, defile.

12 putrefy.

See synonyms for corrupt on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of corrupt

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English verb from Latin corruptus “rotten, decayed, corrupted” (past participle of corrumpere ), equivalent to cor- intensive prefix + rup- (variant stem of rumpere “to break”) + -tus past participle suffix; see cor-

synonym study for corrupt

1. Corrupt, dishonest, venal apply to a person, especially in public office, who acts on mercenary motives, without regard to honor, right, or justice. A corrupt politician is one originally honest who has succumbed to temptation and begun questionable practices. A dishonest politician is one lacking native integrity. A venal politician is one so totally debased as to sell patronage.

OTHER WORDS FROM corrupt

cor·rupt·ed·ly, adverbcor·rupt·ed·ness, nouncor·rupt·er, cor·rup·tor, nouncor·rup·tive, adjective

cor·rup·tive·ly, adverbcor·rupt·ly, adverbcor·rupt·ness, nounnon·cor·rupt, adjectivenon·cor·rupt·ly, adverbnon·cor·rupt·ness, nounnon·cor·rupt·er, nounnon·cor·rup·tive, adjectiveo·ver·cor·rupt, verb, adjectiveo·ver·cor·rupt·ly, adverbpre·cor·rupt, verb (used with object)pre·cor·rupt·ly, adverbpre·cor·rupt·ness, nounpre·cor·rup·tive, adjectiveun·cor·rupt, adjectiveun·cor·rupt·ly, adverbun·cor·rupt·ness, nounun·cor·rupt·ed, adjectiveun·cor·rupt·ed·ly, adverbun·cor·rupt·ed·ness, nounun·cor·rupt·ing, adjectiveun·cor·rup·tive, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use corrupt in a sentence

The novel’s robustly flavorsome cast includes a semi-deranged land preservationist, a corrupt Nobel Prize winner, a Chilean Ayn Rand disciple and several wonderful dogs.
Best thriller and mystery books of 2020|Maureen Corrigan, Richard Lipez|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
Maybe it’s because Bernhardt and his cronies are exactly the corrupt, immoral pawns of the fossil fuel industry we’ve been saying they are all along.
DOI Harms Environmental Protections Until the End|Wes Siler|November 17, 2020|Outside Online
After being shown slides of corrupted tissue from patient biopsies, a medical AI was able to detect cancer to a degree of 97 percent specificity, and 98 percent sensitivity.
The ways our modern tech stack up to sci-fi and fantasy marvels|George Bass|November 8, 2020|Washington Post
For example, Microsoft developed a reputation in recent years for rolling out clunky products and campaigns — from Vista to corrupted chatbots — that suffered from hurried rollouts.
Four ways to test your marketing ideas instead of trusting blogs|Sarah Fruy|November 4, 2020|Search Engine Watch

As Fortune noted, Galloway, as state auditor, “recovered $350 million in wasted or stolen taxpayer money and brought 50 criminal counts against corrupt public officials, both Republican and Democratic.”
Here’s how Fortune’s 40 Under 40 are doing on Election Day|jonathanvanian2015|November 4, 2020|Fortune
That could include private financial or personal information—like the credit-card numbers you used to pay for the corrupted Wi-Fi.
How ‘Ethical’ Hotel Chain Marriott Gouges Guests in the Name of Wi-Fi Security|Kyle Chayka|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And its mean-hearted message, in my opinion, has corrupted the social gospel.
Dear Evangelicals: You’re Being Had|Jay Michaelson|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When Emmanuel came he tried to educate us, telling us you have to stop killing, destroying, being corrupted.
A Belgian Prince, Gorillas, Guerrillas & the Future of the Congo|Nina Strochlic|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The term “lobbyist” supposedly was coined during the well-corrupted (and well-soaked) presidency of Ulysses S. Grant.
Up to a Point: In Defense of Lobbyists|P. J. O’Rourke|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Almost like examining every game developer and game publication for signs of being “corrupted by the feminist agenda.”
Of Gamers, Gates, and Disco Demolition: The Roots of Reactionary Rage|Arthur Chu|October 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Solomon, and the Second Solomon, rest in their unknown graves; their wisdom is corrupted; but their genius survives in the earth.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
All these princes go out of the way, they walk deceitfully, they are brass and iron: they are all corrupted.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
If the poet takes to writing musical comedies, it is because some evil influence has corrupted him.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
Even among the men of the day, corrupted and distracted as they are by foreign innovations, could real strength be found?
The Dragon Painter|Mary McNeil Fenollosa
By degrees all will be necessarily corrupted, in a State whose chief is corrupt himself.
Superstition In All Ages (1732)|Jean Meslier

British Dictionary definitions for corrupt

corrupt

/ (kəˈrʌpt) /

adjective

lacking in integrity; open to or involving bribery or other dishonest practicesa corrupt official; corrupt practices in an election

morally depraved

putrid or rotten

contaminated; unclean

(of a text or manuscript) made meaningless or different in meaning from the original by scribal errors or alterations

(of computer programs or data) containing errors

verb

to become or cause to become dishonest or disloyal

to debase or become debased morally; deprave

(tr) to infect or contaminate; taint

(tr) to cause to become rotten

(tr) to alter (a text, manuscript, etc) from the original

(tr) computing to introduce errors into (data or a program)

Derived forms of corrupt

corrupter or corruptor, nouncorruptive, adjectivecorruptively, adverbcorruptly, adverb

corruptness, noun

Word Origin for corrupt

C14: from Latin corruptus spoiled, from corrumpere to ruin, literally: break to pieces, from rumpere to break

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

corrupt

OTHER WORDS FOR corrupt

Origin of corrupt

synonym study for corrupt

OTHER WORDS FROM corrupt

Words related to corrupt

How to use corrupt in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for corrupt

Derived forms of corrupt

Word Origin for corrupt