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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Make a Break for It: Rupt
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
But there was also anger that such corruption is alleged to have occurred there.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
Togo - which gained independence from France in 1960 - has long been criticised for widespread corruption and fraud.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Khan, 73, and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced late last year to 17 years behind bars after being charged with corruption and other crimes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
“The Jury found no fraud, no corruption and no mismanagement,” the grand jury reported, nor any “nefarious villain that the Jury can recommend going after.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 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
In this underground classic, a screenwriter witnesses the hopes, confusions and corruptions of fame, from an aspiring starlet to an over-the-hill grande dame whose heirs await her demise.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2023
The privilege becomes evident as the book unleashes its vision of interlocking corruptions among the spectacularly decadent elite presiding over Asia’s oldest democracy.
From New York Times ● Apr. 5, 2022
The exciting synergy of institutional life in an all-purpose national metropolis was deemed less important than the dangerous corruptions likely to afflict a nexus of politicians and financiers.
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.
