corruption
Americannoun
-
corruptions
plural
-
the act of corrupting or state of being corrupt.
- Antonyms:
- purity
-
moral perversion; depravity.
- Synonyms:
- immorality, dissolution
- Antonyms:
- purity
-
perversion of integrity.
-
corrupt or dishonest proceedings.
- Antonyms:
- honesty
-
debasement or alteration, as of language or a text.
-
a debased form of a word.
-
putrefactive decay; rottenness.
- Synonyms:
- contamination, pollution, foulness, putrescence, putrefaction, rot
-
any corrupting influence or agency.
-
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.
noun
-
the act of corrupting or state of being corrupt
-
moral perversion; depravity
-
dishonesty, esp bribery
-
putrefaction or decay
-
alteration, as of a manuscript
-
an altered form of a word
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of corruption
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English cor(r)upcio(u)n, from Middle French, from Latin corruptiōn-, stem of corruptiō; see origin at corrupt, -ion
Explanation
Corruption is dishonest action that destroys people's trust. News of corruption at your bank might make you close your account and invest your money somewhere else. The noun corruption comes from Latin — com, meaning "with, together," and rumpere, meaning "to break." Engaging in corruption can "break" or destroy someone's trustworthiness and good reputation with others. For example, news of corruption in the mayor's office might cause shock and lead to the election of a new mayor. When you corrupt something that is pure or honest, you take away those qualities. That's why "corruption of minors" is a serious offense in our legal system.
Vocabulary lists containing corruption
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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Make a Break for It: Rupt
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 1
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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.
See Examples For:
The coup bid and a corruption probe against Flavio Bolsonaro did little to sway voters fed up with crime, violence and the battle to make ends meet in Latin America's biggest economy.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Federal prosecutors indicted me on public corruption charges, alleging a quid pro quo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Fromouth was one of the young Mainers who initially saw hope in former Democratic nominee for Senate Graham Platner, who energized voters with a pitch to rally against corruption regardless of their party affiliation.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
According to supporters, the need for charter changes was driven in part by fraud and corruption scandals at City Hall, including three council members charged with felonies between 2020 and 2023.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
By the 1930s, however, utility holding companies came to symbolize the corporate corruption and greed that the average American saw as the root cause of the Great Depression.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
The subtext plays out in how the town confronts the other corruptions in its midst.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2025
Tasila and the former president's widow, Esther, continue to face corruptions charges, which they deny.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2025
Like more than a few movies focused on the corruptions and comeuppances of the ultra-rich, Michel Franco’s “New Order” kicks off with a wedding.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2021
Jazz got a crucial nudge into the academy from Wynton Marsalis and his fellow young neo-traditionalists, who were guarding against what they saw as the corruptions of fusion and free jazz.
From New York Times ● Sep. 3, 2020
It depicts the American Revolutionas a liberation movement, a clean break not just from English domination but also from the historic corruptions of European monarchy and aristocracy.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
