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 Trump administration is substantially scaling back the State Department's annual reports on international human rights to remove longstanding critiques of abuses such as harsh prison conditions, government corruption and restrictions on participation in the political process, NPR has learned.
—
Graham Smith, NPR, 18 Apr. 2025
Thao has since been indicted for bribery and corruption.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson has agreed to plead guilty to federal corruption charges, with a hearing scheduled for May 5.
—Erin Murphy, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2025
After being indicted on federal corruption charges in September, Adams’ lawyers pleaded his case to Trump’s Department of Justice, saying the case impended his ability to carry out the president’s immigration agenda in the city.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for corruption
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Graham Smith, NPR, 18 Apr. 2025
Thao has since been indicted for bribery and corruption.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson has agreed to plead guilty to federal corruption charges, with a hearing scheduled for May 5.
—Erin Murphy, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2025
After being indicted on federal corruption charges in September, Adams’ lawyers pleaded his case to Trump’s Department of Justice, saying the case impended his ability to carry out the president’s immigration agenda in the city.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 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 22 Apr. 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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