corruption cor‧rup‧tion [kəˈrʌpʆn] noun [uncountable]
1. LAW the crime of giving or receiving money, gifts, a better job etc in exchange for doing something dishonest or illegal:
• He denies twelve counts of corruption.
• The Chamber of Deputies voted to allow Venice magistrates to investigate corruption charges against him.
2. when someone who has power or authority uses it in a dishonest or illegal way to get money or an advantage:
• As well as causing a breakdown in the economic system, hyper-inflation led to a spread of corruption.
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corruption UK US /kəˈrʌpʃən/ noun [U]
► dishonest or illegal behaviour involving a person in a position of power, for example, accepting money for doing something illegal or immoral: »
He was a member of the team looking into allegations of corruption in the local government building-works department.
»Aragon pleaded not guilty to all corruption charges.
»In some of these markets corruption is rife.
► IT the fact of information on a computer being damaged in some way and not able to be used: »
data corruption
Financial and business terms. 2012.