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:
Constitution, and subsequent American practice that it reaches corruption in office for the personal gain of oneself or one’s family, serious criminality, and direct violations of significant provisions of the Constitution.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
The scheme has been investigated several times over alleged corruption.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Zhu also developed a reputation as a hard-nosed opponent of corruption, which he once described as one of China's most pressing problems.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
On its face, that looks like an invitation to open corruption.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
“It’s one of those stories of corruption and scandal.”
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
The subtext plays out in how the town confronts the other corruptions in its midst.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2025
I’ve long argued that journalism is not immune to such corruptions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2025
He said: "People are determined to live... normally without crime and corruptions, without prices going wild."
From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2023
Benjamin Voisin plays Lucien, a young poet from the provinces who is all too happy to savor the corruptions of the capital.
From New York Times ● Dec. 6, 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.
