cor|rupt´ness

cor|rupt «kuh RUHPT», adjective, verb.

–adj.

1. morally bad; evil; wicked: »

a corrupt man, corrupt desires. The thief led a corrupt life.

2. influenced by bribes; dishonest: »

a corrupt judge.

SYNONYM(S): venal.

3. changed in meaning or form, or deviating from the standard (of language usage or of manuscript reading): »

“Sparrowgrass” is a corrupt spelling of “asparagus.” The corrupt manuscript was full of errors made in copying from the original.

4. Archaic. rotten; decayed. SYNONYM(S): spoiled, tainted, putrid, vitiated.

–v.t.

1. to make evil or wicked: »

Bad company may corrupt a good boy.

SYNONYM(S): debase, deprave.

2. to bribe: »

That policeman cannot be corrupted.

SYNONYM(S): demoralize.

3. to change in meaning or form or deviate from the standard of language usage or of a reading of a manuscript: »

Careless scholars corrupted the original manuscript.

4. to cause to rot; make putrid; infect; taint. SYNONYM(S): pollute, contaminate.

5. Archaic. to spoil; mar.

–v.i.

1. to become corrupt or corrupted; become debased.

2. to become putrid; undergo decomposition; rot; decay. SYNONYM(S): putrefy.

╂[< Latin corruptus, past participle of corrumpere < com- (intensive) + rumpere break]

–cor|rupt´er,

–cor|rup´tor, noun.

–cor|rupt´ly, adverb.

–cor|rupt´ness, noun.

Synonym Study adjective. 1 Corrupt, depraved mean made morally bad. Corrupt implies loss of an earlier soundness or purity: »

The Medical Board took away the license of the doctor because of his corrupt practices.

Depraved implies a complete deterioration of morals or taste: »

This murder was committed by a depraved criminal.