corruption
C1Formal, Academic, Journalistic
Definition
Meaning
Dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery.
1. Moral decay or impurity; perversion of integrity. 2. The process by which something becomes debased, altered from its original or pure state, such as data, language, or a text.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term has both concrete and abstract senses, spanning governance, morality, and data integrity. It implies a degradation from a positive or pure state.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Minor spelling differences may appear in related verb forms (e.g., British 'corruptible' vs. American 'corruptible' - both correct).
Connotations
Strongly negative in both varieties, primarily associated with political or financial misconduct.
Frequency
Equally common and high-frequency in political and social discourse in both regions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Corruption [among/of/in] [the officials/the government/the system]The corruption [of] [the data/the youth]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Rotten to the core”
- “A nest of vipers”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to unethical practices like bribery, kickbacks, and embezzlement that distort fair competition.
Academic
Studied in political science, economics, and sociology as a systemic social ill. Also used in computing for data/file corruption.
Everyday
Commonly used in news to describe dishonest politicians or officials.
Technical
In computing, refers to errors in digital data that cause unintended changes to the original information.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The power corrupted him absolutely.
- They feared the data might become corrupted.
American English
- Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
- The file was corrupted during the download.
adverb
British English
- He acted corruptly throughout his tenure.
American English
- The funds were managed corruptly.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The news talked about corruption in other countries.
- The new president promised to fight corruption in the government.
- Widespread corruption undermined the economic development of the region.
- The inquiry exposed systemic corruption that permeated every level of the institution.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'CORRUPT' + 'ION' (action). The *action* of becoming *corrupt*.
Conceptual Metaphor
CORRUPTION IS DISEASE/ROT (e.g., 'a cancer on society', 'root out the rot').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'коррупция' (полный когнат, но контексты могут отличаться). В русском часто ужесточается до 'взяточничество', тогда как английское 'corruption' шире. 'Corruption of data' переводится как 'повреждение данных', а не 'коррупция данных'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'corruption' for minor mistakes (e.g., 'There was a corruption in my essay' - incorrect). Using as a countable noun incorrectly ('a corruption' is rare; usually uncountable).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'corruption' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in modern usage it is exclusively negative, describing a decline from a good or pure state.
Yes, it can refer to data corruption in computing or the corruption of a text or language over time.
Bribery is a specific act of offering money for influence. Corruption is a broader umbrella term that includes bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, and other abuses of power.
Primarily uncountable (e.g., 'There is a lot of corruption'). It can be countable when referring to specific instances or types (e.g., 'the corruptions of power'), but this is less common.
Collections
Part of a collection
Crime and Justice
B1 · 46 words · Vocabulary for law, crime and the justice system.
Global Issues
B2 · 47 words · Vocabulary for discussing world problems and politics.
Explore