corruption
noun
cor·rup·tion
kə-ˈrəp-shən 
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
Synonyms
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
Immigration The report details several countries being torn apart by domestic unrest, government corruption and economic discontent, which fuels cycles of insurrections and violence.
—
Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 26 Apr. 2024
The goal of the ultra-nationalist organization, which is made up entirely of women, is to cleanse Mongolia of corruption and Chinese oppression.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
Russia’s Kommersant newspaper said that Ivanov, 48, was arrested by the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the Soviet-era KGB which Putin last month told to root out corruption in state defense procurement.
—Reuters, NBC News, 24 Apr. 2024
With hitmen for hire, prison riots, a multimillion-dollar contraband circle, and a warden that has been charged with corruption, the episodes illuminate many of the complex problems that plague our criminal justice system.
—Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2024
Before he was elected Manhattan district attorney, Bragg was steeped in prosecuting white collar crime and public corruption cases working for both the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) and the New York Attorney General.
—Walter Ray Watson, NPR, 19 Apr. 2024
But its focus remained on the work that made Navalny famous in Russia: investigating acts of corruption within the elite, exposing the yachts and villas that Putin’s courtiers tried to hide around the world.
—Simon Shuster / Vilnius, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
The 55-year-old former head of the council’s Planning and Land Use Committee was sentenced in January for his role in a sprawling federal corruption case that involved him taking cash payouts and other bribes while in office.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
The handover also comes on the back of a series of scandals that have rattled the ruling party’s reputation for clean governance, including a minister who’s been charged with corruption and subsequently resigned.
—Philip J. Heijmans, Fortune Asia, 15 Apr. 2024
Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 26 Apr. 2024
The goal of the ultra-nationalist organization, which is made up entirely of women, is to cleanse Mongolia of corruption and Chinese oppression.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
Russia’s Kommersant newspaper said that Ivanov, 48, was arrested by the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the Soviet-era KGB which Putin last month told to root out corruption in state defense procurement.
—Reuters, NBC News, 24 Apr. 2024
With hitmen for hire, prison riots, a multimillion-dollar contraband circle, and a warden that has been charged with corruption, the episodes illuminate many of the complex problems that plague our criminal justice system.
—Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2024
Before he was elected Manhattan district attorney, Bragg was steeped in prosecuting white collar crime and public corruption cases working for both the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) and the New York Attorney General.
—Walter Ray Watson, NPR, 19 Apr. 2024
But its focus remained on the work that made Navalny famous in Russia: investigating acts of corruption within the elite, exposing the yachts and villas that Putin’s courtiers tried to hide around the world.
—Simon Shuster / Vilnius, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
The 55-year-old former head of the council’s Planning and Land Use Committee was sentenced in January for his role in a sprawling federal corruption case that involved him taking cash payouts and other bribes while in office.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
The handover also comes on the back of a series of scandals that have rattled the ruling party’s reputation for clean governance, including a minister who’s been charged with corruption and subsequently resigned.
—Philip J. Heijmans, Fortune Asia, 15 Apr. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near corruption
Cite this Entry
“Corruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corruption. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
corruption
noun
cor·rup·tion
kə-ˈrəp-shən
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
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