Synonyms for corruption
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Bribery — the act of corrupting or of impairing integrity, virtue, or moral principle; the state of being corrupted or…
bribery, depravity, perversion, wickedness, criminality, debasement, defilement, degeneracy, immorality, evil, turpitude, filth, demoralization, demoralisation UK, mischief, infection, depravation, sinfulness, impurity, abomination, vice, pollution rare, vitiation rare
2. Adulteration — the act of corrupting or making putrid, or state of being corrupt or putrid; decomposition or…
adulteration, contamination, decay, graft, putrefaction, decomposition, rotting, dirtying, soiling
3. Degradation — the act of changing, or of being changed, for the worse; departure from what is pure, simple, or correct
degradation, degeneration, deterioration, erosion, worsening, ruining, spoiling
4. Rot — the product of corruption; putrid matter
rot, putrescence rare
Other
rottenness, venality, dishonesty, rent-seeking, subversion, imperfection, bastardization, bastardisation UK, subornation rare, corruptness rare, putridness rare
Definitions
- n. 1
The act of corrupting or of impairing integrity, virtue, or moral principle; the state of being corrupted or debased; loss of purity or integrity.
- n. 2
The act of corrupting or making putrid, or state of being corrupt or putrid; decomposition or disorganization, in the process of putrefaction; putrefaction; deterioration.
- n. 3
The product of corruption; putrid matter.
- n. 4
The act of changing, or of being changed, for the worse; departure from what is pure, simple, or correct.
Related words
- Word family
- corruptocracy
- Is a kind of
- change
Forms
- Plural
- corruptions → briberies, depravities, perversions, wickednesses…
Choose the right word
Corruption is the only one of these words which applies to physical substances, and in reference to these denotes the process by which their component parts are dissolved. The other two words have a wider use: we can speak of the depravation or the corruption of taste and public sentiment.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Example sentences
- bribery The bribery scandal cast doubts on the government.
- wickedness The desire of wickedness came up in your heart.
- perversion Your red cheeks give away your perversion.
- depravity Depravity is becoming the norm in modern life.
- contamination Milk is pasteurized to prevent contamination.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| corruption | rising | |
| bribery | steady | |
| wickedness | rising | |
| perversion | steady | |
| depravity | rising | |
| contamination | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- rot1
- 4 letters
- evil2, vice1
- 5 letters
- decay2, graft1, filth1
- 7 letters
- ruining3, erosion3, bribery3, rotting2, soiling
- 8 letters
- mischief2, spoiling2, impurity4, venality4, dirtying
- 9 letters
- infection3, pollution3, worsening3, depravity4, turpitude3, vitiation
- 10 letters
- dishonesty4, subversion3, perversion3, wickedness3, immorality5, degeneracy5, debasement3, defilement, sinfulness, rottenness, putridness
- 11 letters
- degradation4, abomination5, criminality5, depravation4, corruptness, putrescence, subornation
- 12 letters
- degeneration5, imperfection4, adulteration5, putrefaction
- 13 letters
- contamination5, deterioration6, decomposition5
- 14 letters
- demoralization6, demoralisation, bastardization, bastardisation
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (evil2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- corruption
- Italiano
- corruzione
- Español
- corrupción
- Deutsch
- Korruption
- Català
- corrupció