corrupt

[ kuh-ruhpt ]

/ kəˈrʌpt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR corrupt 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.

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.

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.

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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-

SYNONYMS FOR corrupt

1 false, untrustworthy.

3, 4 contaminated.

4, 5 putrescent, rotten, spoiled.

7 demoralize, bribe.

8 debase, vitiate.

11 contaminate, pollute, spoil, defile.

12 putrefy.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR corrupt ON THESAURUS.COM

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. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for corrupt

Steffens, Lincoln, on the wealthy business man as a corruptor of municipal politics, 289.
The Spirit of American Government|J. Allen Smith
But if he is judged incorruptible how will he prove that I am corruptor?
Beaumarchais and the War of American Independence Vol. 1 of 2|Elizabeth S. Kite
They tend to show that Plato did not seek (as many of his commentators do) to depict Protagoras as a corruptor of the public mind.
Plato and the Other Companions of Sokrates, 3rd ed. Volume II (of 4)|George Grote
Immorality, in being, by his doctrines and instructions, a "corruptor of youth."
On Liberty|John Stuart Mill

He takes commendable interest in the training of youth, and has indicted me as a corruptor of youth.
Plato and the Other Companions of Sokrates, 3rd ed. Volume I (of 4)|George Grote

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

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corrupt

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Origin of corrupt

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British Dictionary definitions for corrupt

adjective

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Derived forms of corrupt

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corrupt

adjective

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

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Origin of corrupt

SYNONYMS FOR corrupt

synonym study for corrupt

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British Dictionary definitions for corrupt

adjective

verb

Derived forms of corrupt

Word Origin for corrupt