corruption

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun lack of integrity or honesty (especially susceptibility to bribery); use of a position of trust for dishonest gain
noun in a state of progressive putrefaction
noun decay of matter (as by rot or oxidation)

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

You have chattered enough about corruption. — The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
The government was rank with corruption. — Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World, Mark Twain
Bribery and corruption were its everyday methods. — The Jungle, Upton Sinclair

corruptness

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