corrupt

cor·rupt

Use corrupt in a sentence

adjective

The definition of corrupt is dishonest or deteriorated.
An example of corrupt used as an adjective is a corrupt business which means a business that cheats customers.

verb

Corrupt means to destroy someone's honesty or hurt someone's morals.
An example of to corrupt is for a person to expose his younger sibling to alcohol.

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MLA Style

"corrupt." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/corrupt>.

APA Style

corrupt. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/corrupt

corrupt

Obs. changed from a sound condition to an unsound one; spoiled; contaminated; rotten
deteriorated from the normal or standard; specif.,
1. morally unsound or debased; perverted; evil; depraved
2. taking bribes; venal
3. containing alterations, errors, or admixtures of foreignisms: said of texts, languages, etc.

Origin of corrupt

Middle English from Classical Latin corruptus, past participle of corrumpere, to destroy, spoil, bribe from com-, together + rumpere, to break: see rupture

to make or become corrupt

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MLA Style

"corrupt." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/corrupt>.

APA Style

corrupt. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/corrupt

corrupt

adjective

Marked by immorality and perversion; depraved.
Venal or dishonest: a corrupt mayor.
Containing errors or alterations, especially ones that prevent proper understanding or use: a corrupt translation; a corrupt computer file.
Archaic Tainted; putrid.

verb

cor·rupt·ed, cor·rupt·ing, cor·rupts

verb

transitive

To ruin morally; pervert: “The argument that modern life consists of a menu of horrors by which we are corrupted … is a founding idea of the critique of modernity” ( Susan Sontag )
To destroy or subvert the honesty or integrity of, as by offering bribes: “Our politics has been corrupted by money and suffused with meanness” ( Peter Edelman )
a. To cause to become rotten; spoil: “There was a strange smell in the room, high and slightly sweet, like perfume corrupted in the bottle” ( Bella Bathurst )
b. Archaic To render impure; contaminate.
a. To alter from original or proper form: “Strangers named them the Chippewa, which was corrupted to Ojibway” ( Paul Theroux )
b. Computers To damage (data) in a file or on a disk.

verb

intransitive

To become corrupt.

Origin of corrupt

Middle English from Latin corruptus past participle of corrumpere to destroy com- intensive pref. ; see com- . rumpere to break ; see reup- in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

cor·rupt′er cor·rup′tor
noun

cor·rup′tive
adjective

cor·rupt′ly
adverb

cor·rupt′ness
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Cite this page

MLA Style

"corrupt." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/corrupt>.

APA Style

corrupt. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/corrupt

corrupt

corrupt debase debauch deprave pervert vitiate

These verbs mean to ruin utterly in character or quality: was corrupted by limitless power; debased himself by pleading with the captors; a youth debauched by drugs and drink; indulgence that depraves the moral fiber; perverted her talent by putting it to evil purposes; a proof vitiated by a serious omission.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"corrupt." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/corrupt>.

APA Style

corrupt. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/corrupt

Adjective

(comparative more corrupt, superlative most corrupt)

In a depraved state; debased; perverted; morally degenerate; weak in morals.
The government here is corrupt, so we'll emigrate to escape them.
Abounding in errors; not genuine or correct; in an invalid state.
The text of the manuscript is corrupt.
It turned out that the program was corrupt - that's why it wouldn't open.
In a putrid state; spoiled; tainted; vitiated; unsound.

Usage notes

Nouns to which "corrupt" is often applied: practice, state, country, nation, regime, city, government, person, man, politician, leader, mayor, judge, member, minister, file, database, document, woman.

Verb

(third-person singular simple present corrupts, present participle corrupting, simple past and past participle corrupted)

To make corrupt; to change from good to bad; to draw away from the right path; to deprave; to pervert.
Don't you dare corrupt my son with those disgusting pictures!
(intransitive) To become putrid or tainted; to putrefy; to rot.
To debase or render impure by alterations or innovations; to falsify.
to corrupt language, or a holy text
To waste, spoil, or consume; to make worthless.

Related terms

Origin

From Middle English corrupten, from Old French corropt, from Latin corruptus, past participle of corrumpō, corrumpere (“to destroy, ruin, injure, spoil, corrupt, bribe”), from com- (“together”) + rumpere (“to break in pieces”).

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.