corrupt
1 of 2verb
cor·rupt kə-ˈrəpt 
corrupted; corrupting; corrupts
transitive verb
1
a
: to change from good to bad in morals, manners, or actions
Officials were corrupted by greed.
was accused of corrupting the youth
also : bribe
b
: to degrade with unsound principles or moral values
Some fear the merger will corrupt the competitive marketplace.
2
: rot, spoil
The fruits were transported without being corrupted.
3
: to subject (a person) to corruption of blood
4
: to alter from the original or correct form or version
The file was corrupted.
intransitive verb
1
a
: to become tainted or rotten
leaving the bodies to corrupt on the field
b
: to become morally debased
2
: to cause disintegration or ruin
corrupter noun
or less commonly corruptor
kə-ˈrəp-tər
corruptibility
kə-ˌrəp-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē
noun corruptible
kə-ˈrəp-tə-bəl
adjective corruptibly
kə-ˈrəp-tə-blē
adverb corrupt
2 of 2adjective
1
a
: morally degenerate and perverted : depraved
b
: characterized by improper conduct (such as bribery or the selling of favors)
corrupt judges
2
: putrid, tainted
3
: adulterated or debased by change from an original or correct condition
a corrupt version of the text
corruptly
kə-ˈrəp(t)-lē
adverb corruptness
kə-ˈrəp(t)-nəs
noun 
Synonyms
Verb
- break down
- decay
- decompose
- disintegrate
- fester
- foul
- mold
- molder
- perish [chiefly British]
- putrefy
- rot
- spoil
Adjective
- debased
- debauched
- decadent
- degenerate
- degraded
- demoralized
- depraved
- dissipated
- dissolute
- jackleg
- libertine
- loose
- perverse
- perverted
- rakehell
- rakehelly
- rakish
- reprobate
- sick
- unclean
- unwholesome
- warped
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb a politician corrupted by greed music that corrupts the morals of children corrupting the country's legal system the corrupting influence of power Their idealism has been corrupted by cynicism. The file has been corrupted and no longer works properly. a corrupted version of the ancient text Adjective The country's justice system is riddled with corrupt judges who accept bribes. corrupt cops who sell drugs the country's corrupt legal system a corrupt version of the text a corrupt computer file that no longer works properly See More
Recent Examples on the Web
NBC News, 21 Aug. 2022 Earlier this week, the House Oversight Committee obtained a cache of documents from the Department of Commerce that show just how far the Trump administration wanted to go to corrupt the census in its favor. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 21 July 2022 Power could fall into your lap at any moment -- but power can corrupt those who aren't careful. Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2022 The hearing will focus on Trump's efforts to corrupt the DOJ, according to Chair Bennie Thompson. Chelsey Cox, USA TODAY, 23 June 2022 Running an advertising campaign encompasses metrics showing how your audience views and responds to your content across various ad networks, including fake traffic, attribution and clicks, with the real versions that corrupt your data. Jacob Loveless, Forbes, 27 June 2022 Its security and decentralization is second to none, meaning its almost impossible to corrupt the network for personal gains. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 22 June 2022 Right-wing conspiracy theories have accused the Jesuits of supporting communism or trying to corrupt the church from within. Joseph P. Laycock, The Conversation, 24 May 2022 The basic dispute was whether contributions to winning candidates to repay personal loans to their campaigns were a form of political speech or a kind of gift with the potential to corrupt. New York Times, 16 May 2022 Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2022 That brings us to the other fundamental principle of Trump’s legal arguments: that any prosecutor, committee, or judge that investigates or rules against him is biased, illegitimate, and corrupt. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 6 Sep. 2022 The rallies are often attended by thousands of supporters and feature his fiery speeches denouncing Pakistan’s current government as corrupt and a foreign puppet. Susannah George, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 At this point, just assume everyone is corrupt and power-hungry. Aj Willingham, CNN, 21 Aug. 2022 In basic terms, data cleaning remediates flawed or corrupt data within a dataset—which is the primary cause of inaccurate data modeling and ineffective predictions. Yec, Forbes, 18 May 2022 The Renaissance authors of the 14th and 15th centuries, by contrast, had a more difficult relationship with the Catholic Church, which was extremely corrupt at that time. Barton Swaim, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2022 His book is an attempt at redeeming a career wrecked by Robert Mueller’s prosecutors, who portrayed him as one of the most corrupt characters to ever bestride Washington. Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2022 Saied says his actions were constitutional and necessary to save Tunisia from years of political paralysis and economic stagnation at the hands of a corrupt, self-serving elite. CNN, 1 Apr. 2022 See More
Verb
No American should support election deniers for any position of genuine responsibility where their refusal to follow the rule of law will corrupt our future. NBC News, 21 Aug. 2022 Earlier this week, the House Oversight Committee obtained a cache of documents from the Department of Commerce that show just how far the Trump administration wanted to go to corrupt the census in its favor. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 21 July 2022 Power could fall into your lap at any moment -- but power can corrupt those who aren't careful. Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2022 The hearing will focus on Trump's efforts to corrupt the DOJ, according to Chair Bennie Thompson. Chelsey Cox, USA TODAY, 23 June 2022 Running an advertising campaign encompasses metrics showing how your audience views and responds to your content across various ad networks, including fake traffic, attribution and clicks, with the real versions that corrupt your data. Jacob Loveless, Forbes, 27 June 2022 Its security and decentralization is second to none, meaning its almost impossible to corrupt the network for personal gains. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 22 June 2022 Right-wing conspiracy theories have accused the Jesuits of supporting communism or trying to corrupt the church from within. Joseph P. Laycock, The Conversation, 24 May 2022 The basic dispute was whether contributions to winning candidates to repay personal loans to their campaigns were a form of political speech or a kind of gift with the potential to corrupt. New York Times, 16 May 2022 Adjective
By the end of 2020, after the lockdowns and the election, many conservatives had come to see that system the same way that right-wing extremists did—as corrupt and tyrannical, perhaps even satanic. Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2022 That brings us to the other fundamental principle of Trump’s legal arguments: that any prosecutor, committee, or judge that investigates or rules against him is biased, illegitimate, and corrupt. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 6 Sep. 2022 The rallies are often attended by thousands of supporters and feature his fiery speeches denouncing Pakistan’s current government as corrupt and a foreign puppet. Susannah George, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 At this point, just assume everyone is corrupt and power-hungry. Aj Willingham, CNN, 21 Aug. 2022 In basic terms, data cleaning remediates flawed or corrupt data within a dataset—which is the primary cause of inaccurate data modeling and ineffective predictions. Yec, Forbes, 18 May 2022 The Renaissance authors of the 14th and 15th centuries, by contrast, had a more difficult relationship with the Catholic Church, which was extremely corrupt at that time. Barton Swaim, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2022 His book is an attempt at redeeming a career wrecked by Robert Mueller’s prosecutors, who portrayed him as one of the most corrupt characters to ever bestride Washington. Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2022 Saied says his actions were constitutional and necessary to save Tunisia from years of political paralysis and economic stagnation at the hands of a corrupt, self-serving elite. CNN, 1 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, from Latin corruptus, past participle of corrumpere, from com- + rumpere to break — more at reave
Adjective
Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin corruptus — see corrupt entry 1
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
corrupt 1 of 2
verb
cor·rupt kə-ˈrəpt
corrupted; corrupting
1
: to change (as in morals, manners, or actions) from good to bad
He believes television can corrupt children.
2
: to influence a public official in an improper way (as by a bribe)
corrupt
2 of 2adjective
1
: behaving in a bad or improper way : doing wrong
The corrupt judges will accept bribes.
2
: morally bad : evil
corrupt values
Legal Definition
corrupt 1 of 2
adjective
cor·rupt
kə-ˈrəpt
: having an unlawful or evil motive
especially : characterized by improper and usually unlawful conduct intended to secure a benefit for oneself or another (as by taking or giving bribes)
corrupt
2 of 2transitive verb
1
: to change from good to bad in principles or moral values
corrupting a minor
2
: to subject (a person) to corruption of blood
corrupt 1 of 2
adjective
as in degraded
having or showing lowered moral character or standards corrupt businessmen who are out to fleece the public corrupt business practices that should be investigated Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- degraded
- sick
- crooked
- depraved
- perverted
- degenerate
- dishonest
- decadent
- loose
- dissolute
- debased
- debauched
- reprobate
- warped
- perverse
- spoiled
- unwholesome
- vicious
- unclean
- demoralized
- evil
- immoral
- libertine
- unscrupulous
- wicked
- bad
- dissipated
- unethical
- unprincipled
- rakish
- sinful
- cutthroat
- tainted
- contaminated
- nefarious
- bent
- rakehell
- jackleg
- rakehelly
- iniquitous
- miscreant
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- pure
- uncorrupt
- incorruptible
- uncorrupted
- honest
- ethical
- virtuous
- moral
- good
- righteous
- principled
corrupt
2 of 2verb
1
as in to rot
to go through decomposition a dead mouse corrupting in the walls produced a terrible smell Synonyms & Similar Words
- rot
- decay
- disintegrate
- decompose
- foul
- spoil
- mold
- fall apart
- perish
- putrefy
- fester
- deteriorate
- molder
- crumble
- run to seed
- contaminate
- break down
- degenerate
- pollute
- sour
- taint
- descend
- go to seed
- turn
- rust
- defile
- ferment
- dilapidate
- mortify
- turn off
- decline
- addle
- curdle
- wither
- sink
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- mature
- restore
- grow
- develop
- purify
- cleanse
- ripen
- renew
- age
- improve
- better
- refresh
- integrate
- assemble
- ameliorate
- compose
- meliorate
2
as in to deprave
to lower in character, dignity, or quality some observers believe that grossly violent movies corrupt the people who watch them as well as the people who make them Synonyms & Similar Words
- deprave
- subvert
- pervert
- degrade
- weaken
- humiliate
- debauch
- disgrace
- poison
- destroy
- deteriorate
- canker
- dirty
- damage
- dilute
- ruin
- profane
- prostitute
- bastardize
- taint
- pollute
- debase
- demean
- humble
- contaminate
- shame
- mar
- thin
- warp
- demoralize
- vitiate
- abase
- harm
- cheapen
- water down
- hurt
- impair
- wreck
- dishonor
- lessen
- tarnish
- defile
- flaw
- spoil
- begrime
- stain
- befoul
- blemish
- deface
- downgrade
- take down
- descend
- depreciate
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- improve
- better
- uplift
- perfect
- elevate
- honor
- enrich
- exalt
- restore
- ennoble
- enhance
- clean
- purify
- cleanse
- amend
- ameliorate
- dignify
- refine
- respect
- clarify
- meliorate
3
as in to bribe
to influence someone with a bribe he bragged about having corrupted half of the officials on the city council Synonyms & Similar Words
- bribe
- poison
- seduce
- lure
- entice
- pay off
- buy
- tempt
- persuade
- have
- provoke
- square
- get at
- deprave
- grease the palm of
- subvert
- oil the palm of
- pervert
- taint
- profane
- oil the hand of
- debauch
- dishonor
- grease the hand of
- prostitute
- debase
- degrade
- motivate
- defile
- demean
- induce
- warp
- lead on
- stimulate
- spur
- bait
- allure
- abase
- trap
- beguile
- fix
- flatter
- goad
- tamper (with)
- snare
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of corrupt are degenerate, iniquitous, nefarious, vicious, and villainous. While all these words mean "highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct," corrupt stresses a loss of moral integrity or probity causing betrayal of principle or sworn obligations.
city hall was rife with corrupt politicians
The meanings of degenerate and corrupt largely overlap; however, degenerate suggests having sunk to an especially vicious or enervated condition.
a degenerate regime propped up by foreign powers
Although the words iniquitous and corrupt have much in common, iniquitous implies absence of all signs of justice or fairness.
an iniquitous system of taxation
The synonyms nefarious and corrupt are sometimes interchangeable, but nefarious suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct.
the nefarious rackets of organized crime
While in some cases nearly identical to corrupt, vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying moral depravity, or may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence.
a vicious gangster
While the synonyms villainous and corrupt are close in meaning, villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic.
a villainous assault