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
Li Zhi’s exasperation with the corruption, greed, and superficiality of the powerbrokers in his society fueled his rebellious writing.
—
JSTOR Daily, 27 June 2024
Former marketing executives Christine Pan and Simon Wang were also fired over allegations of corruption.
—Denni Hu, WWD, 26 June 2024
That said, the Court’s Republican majority also has a long history of imposing constitutional limits on the government’s ability to fight corruption and restrict money in politics.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 26 June 2024
This newspaper has uncovered scores of scandals through the years — everything from corruption at the expressway authority to criminal activity at Joel Greenberg’s trainwreck of a tax office.
—Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for corruption 
JSTOR Daily, 27 June 2024
Former marketing executives Christine Pan and Simon Wang were also fired over allegations of corruption.
—Denni Hu, WWD, 26 June 2024
That said, the Court’s Republican majority also has a long history of imposing constitutional limits on the government’s ability to fight corruption and restrict money in politics.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 26 June 2024
This newspaper has uncovered scores of scandals through the years — everything from corruption at the expressway authority to criminal activity at Joel Greenberg’s trainwreck of a tax office.
—Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for corruption
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 7 Jul. 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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