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
- breakdown
- decay
- decomposition
- festering
- putrefaction
- putrescence
- rot
- spoilage
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 As in much of Mexico, that corruption is deep-seated. 
Oscar Lopez, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2022 Susan Tristan, in charge of reservations at the West Side park at the center of Vela’s public corruption trial, said a Texas Ranger investigator and an FBI agent fitted her with a pocket-size device. Elizabeth Zavala, San Antonio Express-News, 29 Aug. 2022 Three-quarters of the population are in poverty, corruption is endemic and many are losing hope for quick solutions. Bloomberg.com, 12 Aug. 2022 President Uhuru Kenyatta once estimated that corruption is responsible for the loss of $20 million from government coffers every day. Faustine Ngila, Quartz, 9 Aug. 2022 Most days, the case has dominated the headlines, often eclipsing interest in the ongoing corruption trial of Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s former and longest-serving prime minister. New York Times, 5 Aug. 2022 Nearly half of Colombians say that their local economy is getting worse, while 80% say corruption is widespread in the government, according to a recent Gallup poll. Paul Best, Fox News, 20 June 2022 Testimony in a 2006 federal corruption trial involving top Daley administration officials described how party bosses ordered city workers to campaign for Stone’s opponent, the sitting alderman. Megan O’matz, ProPublica, 25 May 2022 Spivey was the first charged in the federal corruption investigation known as Operation Northern Hook, which is linked to at least three City Council members and a confidential FBI source who was tied to Detroit's towing industry. Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press, 24 Aug. 2022 See More
Oscar Lopez, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2022 Susan Tristan, in charge of reservations at the West Side park at the center of Vela’s public corruption trial, said a Texas Ranger investigator and an FBI agent fitted her with a pocket-size device. Elizabeth Zavala, San Antonio Express-News, 29 Aug. 2022 Three-quarters of the population are in poverty, corruption is endemic and many are losing hope for quick solutions. Bloomberg.com, 12 Aug. 2022 President Uhuru Kenyatta once estimated that corruption is responsible for the loss of $20 million from government coffers every day. Faustine Ngila, Quartz, 9 Aug. 2022 Most days, the case has dominated the headlines, often eclipsing interest in the ongoing corruption trial of Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s former and longest-serving prime minister. New York Times, 5 Aug. 2022 Nearly half of Colombians say that their local economy is getting worse, while 80% say corruption is widespread in the government, according to a recent Gallup poll. Paul Best, Fox News, 20 June 2022 Testimony in a 2006 federal corruption trial involving top Daley administration officials described how party bosses ordered city workers to campaign for Stone’s opponent, the sitting alderman. Megan O’matz, ProPublica, 25 May 2022 Spivey was the first charged in the federal corruption investigation known as Operation Northern Hook, which is linked to at least three City Council members and a confidential FBI source who was tied to Detroit's towing industry. Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press, 24 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
see corrupt entry 1
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing corruption
Kids Definition
corruption
noun
cor·rup·tion kə-ˈrəp-shən
1
: dishonest or illegal behavior
corruption in politics
2
: the process of causing someone else to do something wrong
… the little scene that I had overheard was the last act in the corruption of one of the honest hands … Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island3
: the act of changing or damaging something
the corruption of an ancient text
the corruption of a computer file
corruption
noun
1
as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances the ancient Egyptians used special preservatives to spare their dead from complete corruption Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- decomposition
- decay
- rot
- putrefaction
- spoilage
- festering
- putrescence
- disintegration
- fermentation
- crumbling
- breakdown
- dissolution
- curdling
- souring
- moldering
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- growth
- maturation
- ripening
2
as in corruptness
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior the corruption of the upper classes eventually led to the fall of the Roman empire Synonyms & Similar Words
- corruptness
- degradation
- dissoluteness
- turpitude
- debasement
- sinfulness
- perversion
- evil
- decadence
- degeneracy
- demoralization
- dissipation
- abjection
- decadency
- depravity
- degenerateness
- pervertedness
- debauchery
- immorality
- degeneration
- rakishness
- libertinism
- villainy
- dissipatedness
- libertinage
- wickedness
- squalor
- rot
- filth
- gangrene
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- morality
- virtue
- goodness
- righteousness
3
as in immorality
immoral conduct or practices harmful or offensive to society Socrates was put to death because the ancient Athenians believed he was spreading corruption to their youth Synonyms & Similar Words
- immorality
- evil
- corruptness
- sin
- sinfulness
- evilness
- profligacy
- depravity
- criminality
- debauchery
- licentiousness
- bad
- badness
- iniquity
- vice
- libertinism
- blackness
- libertinage
- ill
- iniquitousness
- turpitude
- wickedness
- vileness
- villainy
- unscrupulousness
- dissoluteness
- evildoing
- villainousness
- viciousness
- heinousness
- wrong
- debasement
- degeneracy
- lewdness
- perversion
- fiendishness
- degeneration
- lasciviousness
- devilry
- atrociousness
- indecency
- meanness
- dissolution
- dirtiness
- looseness
- lechery
- baseness
- abomination
- taboo
- deviltry
- wantonness
- depravedness
- lousiness
- wretchedness
- lowness
- despicableness
- pervertedness
- miserableness
- anathema
- reprehensibleness
- tabu
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- morality
- virtue
- integrity
- legitimacy
- probity
- right
- honesty
- goodness
- righteousness
- uprightness
- good
- rectitude
- purity
- honor
- scrupulousness
- innocence
- scrupulosity
- virtuousness
- perfection
- correctness
- chastity
- blamelessness
- decency
- cleanness
- propriety
- pureness
- spotlessness
- rightness
- seemliness
- decorousness
- leuco base
- leuco ester
- leuco-
- leucoanthocyanin
- Leucobryum
- leucochalcite
- leucocholy
- leucocidin
- leucocidins
- leucocratic
- Leucocrinum
- leucocyt-
- leucocytal
- leucocytary
- leucocyte
- leucocytes
- leucocythaemia
- leucocythaemic
- leucocythemia
- leucocythemic
- leucocyto-
- leucocytoblast
- leucocytoblastic
- leucocytopoieses
- leucocytopoiesis