corruption

noun

cor·​rup·​tion kə-ˈrəp-shən How to pronounce corruption (audio)
1
a
: dishonest or illegal behavior especially by powerful people (such as government officials or police officers) : depravity
b
: inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (such as bribery)
the corruption of government officials
c
: a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct
the corruption of a text
the corruption of computer files
d
: decay, decomposition
the corruption of a carcass
2
chiefly dialectal : pus
3
archaic : an agency or influence that corrupts

Examples of corruption in a Sentence

There are rumors of widespread corruption in the city government. the mafia's corruption of public officials corruption of the English language computer software that is supposed to prevent the corruption of files the corruption of a text
Recent Examples on the Web Navalny founded the Anti-Corruption Foundation in 2011 to investigate alleged corruption by high-ranking Russian officials, including and increasingly by those within the Kremlin elite. Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Was the corruption within City Hall limited to the mayor, or did the city itself break the rules? Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 At the time of the DEA sting, the U.K. government was concluding a corruption investigation of Fahie’s administration — but British authorities noted it was not related to the DEA’s sting. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Paxton is targeting House Speaker Dade Phelan, who led the attempt, by endorsing his challenger David Covey along with more than 30 of Phelan’s Republican House colleagues who voted against him on corruption and abuse of office allegations. USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 In it, Duggan alleged that the FBI was investigating public corruption involving Chandler Law Enforcement Association president Officer Michael Collins and City Councilmember Jane Poston. Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 The Yemeni forces fighting alongside the coalition were weakened by factional divisions and corruption. Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024 But analysts in foreign and local media outlets alike have highlighted anti-army protests that followed Khan’s arrest on corruption charges last year, as well as the 2024 vote, as evidence of exactly such a shift. Sarah Khan, Foreign Affairs, 5 Mar. 2024 Moldova’s fight against corruption, however, tells a very different story and offers lessons for business leaders globally. Zenger News, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'corruption.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see corrupt entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of corruption was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near corruption

Cite this Entry

“Corruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corruption. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

corruption

noun
cor·​rup·​tion kə-ˈrəp-shən How to pronounce corruption (audio)
1
: physical decay or rotting
2
: dishonest or evil behavior
3
: the causing of someone else to do wrong (as by bribery)
4
: a change from the original or for the worse

More from Merriam-Webster on corruption

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