corruption

B2 Topic:People & Society

US /kəˈɹʌpʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #6434

Meanings

1

noun
Dishonest behaviour by people in power, such as taking bribes.

They were arrested on charges of corruption and bribery.
2

noun
The process of making someone or something morally bad.

The novel describes the slow corruption of an honest young man.
3

noun
Damage to computer data that makes it unusable.

A power cut caused corruption of the database files.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · dishonest behaviour by... bribery graft

2 noun · the process of making... debasement degradation

More abasement adulteration debauchment defilement depravationdepravementimpurificationperversion pollution profanationrent-seeking

Opposites

exaltation expiation preservation purgation purification rehabilitation

Word family

Forms corruptions

Derived forms anti-corruptionanticorruptioncorruptioneercorruptionistcorruptionlesscountercorruptionincorruptionnoncorruptionrecorruptionuncorruption

Related forms contaminationcorruptocracydesecration deterioration

Etymology

Borrowed from French corruption, from Latin corruptiō, equivalent to corrupt + -ion.

*Hrewp- Proto-Indo-European corruption French corruptiō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society

External links

# corruption

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /kəˈɹʌpʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 6434

## Meanings
1. Dishonest behaviour by people in power, such as taking bribes.
2. The process of making someone or something morally bad.
3. Damage to computer data that makes it unusable.

## Examples
- They were arrested on charges of corruption and bribery.
- The novel describes the slow corruption of an honest young man.
- A power cut caused corruption of the database files.

## Synonyms
- abasement
- adulteration
- debasement
- debauchment
- defilement
- depravation
- depravement
- impurification
- perversion
- pollution
- profanation
- rent-seeking

## Antonyms
- exaltation
- expiation
- preservation
- purgation
- purification
- rehabilitation

## Derived Forms
- anti-corruption
- anticorruption
- corruptioneer
- corruptionist
- corruptionless
- countercorruption
- incorruption
- noncorruption
- recorruption
- uncorruption

## Related Forms
- contamination
- corruptocracy
- desecration
- deterioration

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *Hrewp-
- Root: corruption
- Root: corruptiō

## Etymology
Borrowed from French corruption, from Latin corruptiō, equivalent to corrupt + -ion.

## AI Etymology
corruption was borrowed from French corruption, from Latin corruptiō, equivalent to corrupt + -ion. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *Hrewp-, French corruption, Latin corruptiō. Current senses include Dishonest behaviour by people in power, such as taking bribes and The process of making someone or something morally bad. English relatives and later formations include anti-corruption, anticorruption, corruptioneer, contamination, corruptocracy.

## Topics
- People & Society

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