adj
corrupt
kuh-RUHPT
adj
1
Willing to act dishonestly, especially by taking bribes, in exchange for personal gain.
"The corrupt official demanded a bribe to approve the permit."
"Voters were fed up with corrupt politicians."
verb
1
To cause someone to act dishonestly, or to damage the integrity of something.
"Power can corrupt even well-meaning leaders."
"A virus corrupted several files on the drive."
How to Use Corrupt
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDishonest for personal gain, or to make something dishonest, damaged, or unusable.
Common pairings
corrupt official
corrupt file
corrupt system
Word Forms
more corrupt comparative, corrupted past tense, corrupts singular, most corrupt superlative
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The _____ official demanded a bribe to approve the permit.
Etymology
From Latin corruptus, past participle of corrumpere, "to ruin or spoil" — from com- ("together, thoroughly") plus rumpere, "to break".