corrupt
adjective
guilty of dishonest practices, as bribery; lacking integrity; crooked.
corrupts
-
present tense formof corrupt (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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.
“Money spent very quickly on the military corrupts very quickly,” said Dennis Wilder, a senior fellow at Georgetown University and former U.S. intelligence officer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
Downs: I think power corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2024
What we know about power is that it always corrupts.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 3, 2023
“If thought corrupts language,” George Orwell wrote, “language can also corrupt thought. A bad usage can spread by tradition and imitation, even among people who should and do know better.”
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2023
The very desire of it corrupts the heart.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
