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
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
Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office claims that corruption tied to these export permits cost the state 12.3 trillion rupiah ($755 million).
—
Lionel Lim, Fortune, 18 June 2025
Maybe the game doesn’t die in corruption but in the apathy of those who stop caring.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 18 June 2025
On average, more than one Illinois public servant per week — for 40 years between 1983 and 2023 — was convicted of corruption just in federal court, not including local prosecutions.
—Matt Paprocki, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
But getting some residents to cooperate was complicated by distrust linked to the city’s past history of police abuses – including corruption and unconstitutional arrests that led to years of federal oversight.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for corruption
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Lionel Lim, Fortune, 18 June 2025
Maybe the game doesn’t die in corruption but in the apathy of those who stop caring.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 18 June 2025
On average, more than one Illinois public servant per week — for 40 years between 1983 and 2023 — was convicted of corruption just in federal court, not including local prosecutions.
—Matt Paprocki, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
But getting some residents to cooperate was complicated by distrust linked to the city’s past history of police abuses – including corruption and unconstitutional arrests that led to years of federal oversight.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for corruption
Cite this Entry
“Corruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corruption. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
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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