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

Over the past few months, the Philippines has been rocked by a corruption scandal centered on flood-control projects, Capital Economics’ Jason Tuvey said in a note.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

The charges raise the possibility that dissidents, most in their early 20s, could find themselves in maximum-security prisons for decades after allegedly participating in protests against high taxes, poor job prospects and rampant public corruption.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Communist Party authorities have placed Liu Jianchao under investigation for alleged corruption and other violations of party discipline, according to people briefed on the matter.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

And while Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has avoided major corruption scandals in its 11 years in power, it has done little to curb predatory officials who harass ordinary people.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

The protests began on 25 September triggered by anger over persistent power and water shortages, and have escalated into broader dissatisfaction over corruption, high unemployment and the cost-of-living crisis.

Read more on 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.