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
The series is centered on organized crime and corruption in Atlantic City during the Prohibition era, using real-life characters like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky.
—
Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Trump's Justice Department dropped corruption charges against Adams earlier this year.
—Sarah N. Lynch, USA Today, 22 May 2025
In 2014, then-Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon was arrested and pleaded guilty in federal court to public corruption charges after accepting more than $50,000 in bribes while in office.
—Nora O’Neill, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2025
At the same time, a statewide grand jury, the FBI and state prosecutors were investigating corruption among public officials, including some in Broward schools.
—Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for corruption
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Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Trump's Justice Department dropped corruption charges against Adams earlier this year.
—Sarah N. Lynch, USA Today, 22 May 2025
In 2014, then-Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon was arrested and pleaded guilty in federal court to public corruption charges after accepting more than $50,000 in bribes while in office.
—Nora O’Neill, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2025
At the same time, a statewide grand jury, the FBI and state prosecutors were investigating corruption among public officials, including some in Broward schools.
—Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 22 May 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 1 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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