corrupt
pronunciation
How to pronounce corrupt in British English:
UK [kəˈrʌpt]
How to pronounce corrupt in American English:
US [kəˈrʌpt]
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- Verb:
- corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
- alter from the original
- make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence
- place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
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- Adjective:
- lacking in integrity
- not straight; dishonest or immoral or evasive
- containing errors or alterations
- touched by rot or decay
Word Origin
- corrupt
- corrupt: [14] The Latin verb rumpere meant ‘break’ (it is etymologically related to English bereave and rob). It (or rather its past participial stem rup-) was the source of English rupture [15], and it entered into partnership with the intensive prefix com- to produce corrumpere ‘destroy completely’. This was the ancestor (either directly or via Old French) of English corrupt, both adjective and verb.=> bereave, curse, rob, rupture
- corrupt (adj.)
- mid-14c., from Old French corropt "unhealthy, corrupt; uncouth" (of language), and directly from Latin corruptus, past participle of corrumpere "to destroy; spoil," figuratively "corrupt, seduce, bribe," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + rup-, past participle stem of rumpere "to break" (see rupture (n.)). Related: Corruptly; corruptness.
- corrupt (v.)
- mid-14c., "contaminate, impair the purity of," from Latin corruptus, past participle of corrumpere (see corrupt (adj.)). Late 14c. as "pervert the meaning of," also "putrefy." Related: Corrupted; corrupting.
Example
- 1. Some think it is soft and corrupt .
- 2. Iraq 's institutions are feeble and corrupt .
- 3. But it is badly organised and corrupt .
- 4. We expect those who are ineffective or corrupt to be held accountable .
- 5. How do market values corrupt , dissolve , or displace non-market norms ?