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
Her Liberal Democratic Party is still recovering from corruption scandals, and her performance abroad could shape both her political future and her party’s recovery.
—
Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
The president and his party have faced three corruption scandals this year, while Argentina’s slowing economy and frustration with high unemployment rates helped push Milei’s approval to the lowest level of his term ahead of the vote.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
That reality, combined with apps that offer ever more convenience and minutiae to bet on in real time, invites corruption.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2025
There’s been a series of starts and stops with Lehrer’s case, which Emma claims is riddled with corruption.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for corruption
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Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
The president and his party have faced three corruption scandals this year, while Argentina’s slowing economy and frustration with high unemployment rates helped push Milei’s approval to the lowest level of his term ahead of the vote.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
That reality, combined with apps that offer ever more convenience and minutiae to bet on in real time, invites corruption.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2025
There’s been a series of starts and stops with Lehrer’s case, which Emma claims is riddled with corruption.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 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 30 Oct. 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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