corruption
corruption — noun
1. behaviour in which someone uses a position of power for personal gain in a disho
behaviour in which someone uses a position of power for personal gain in a dishonest or illegal way — for example, accepting money in exchange for giving a company a government contract
The mayor was arrested on charges of corruption after taking bribes from developers.
collocation: charges of corruption
A special committee was formed to investigate corruption in the education department.
collocation: investigate corruption in [institution]
Many citizens believe that poverty and corruption are closely linked in developing countries.
Corruption among local police officers has damaged public trust in the justice system.
The anti-corruption agency received over two thousand reports of suspicious activity last year.
- bribery
more specific; refers to offering/receiving money or gifts, while corruption is broader
- graft
American English, informal; focuses on using political power for personal money
- fraud
emphasises deliberate deception for financial gain, not necessarily requiring a position of power
- misconduct
broader and less severe; covers any improper behaviour, not just illegal acts
文法句型
corruption + in + [place/institution]
corruption + among + [group of people]
用法筆記
Frequently uncountable. Often appears in compound nouns such as anti-corruption, corruption scandal, and corruption case. The subject is typically an institution, government, or system rather than an individual.
常見錯誤
2. a change in the way a word is written or spoken compared to its earlier form, us
a change in the way a word is written or spoken compared to its earlier form, usually happening gradually as people use the word over long periods
The word 'picnic' is a corruption of the French word 'pique-nique' from the 17th century.
pattern: corruption of [source word]
Linguists study how language corruption happens when two cultures come into close contact.
The word 'caviar' may be a corruption of an Italian term from Black Sea trade.
The manuscript reveals several corruptions in the original Latin text that were added by later copyists.
- alteration
neutral term without the negative connotation of 'corruption'
- distortion
implies a more extreme or misleading change
文法句型
corruption + of + [word/language]
用法筆記
In linguistics, this term can be uncountable (the general process) or countable with a plural form (specific instances of altered words). Some modern linguists avoid the term because it implies a value judgement that older forms are 'purer'.
常見錯誤
3. the state of electronic information becoming damaged or altered so that it can n
the state of electronic information becoming damaged or altered so that it can no longer be read or used correctly by a computer system
A sudden power cut caused data corruption, and half of the files would not open.
collocation: data corruption
The IT team ran a diagnostic check to find the source of the memory corruption.
collocation: memory corruption
Always back up your work to prevent file corruption from hardware failures or software bugs.
The photo showed strange coloured stripes across the screen because of image corruption in the camera's memory card.
- integrity
in computing, data integrity means data is complete and unaltered
文法句型
data corruption
file corruption
corruption + in + [storage medium]
用法筆記
Almost always uncountable. Commonly appears as the second element in compounds (data corruption, file corruption, memory corruption). Frequent in passive constructions related to prevention: 'can be prevented', 'must be detected'.
常見錯誤
4. the natural process by which dead plants, animals, or other organic material bre
the natural process by which dead plants, animals, or other organic material breaks down, often through the action of bacteria or fungi
The corruption of the wood was visible in the soft, dark patches along the fence posts.
pattern: corruption of [organic matter]
Ancient burial sites preserve bones well because the soil conditions slow down organic corruption.
The naturalist's journal from 1783 describes the corruption of fallen leaves on the damp forest floor.
The biologist explained how the corruption of a fallen tree provides nutrients for new plant growth in the forest.
- decay
the more common, everyday word for the same process
- decomposition
technical term used in biology and chemistry
- putrefaction
specifically refers to decomposition with unpleasant smells, very formal
- preservation
the process of keeping organic matter from decaying
文法句型
corruption + of + [organic matter]
用法筆記
Now somewhat dated in everyday English; 'decay' or 'decomposition' are more common. This sense survives mainly in specialised biological or historical texts. Can also describe the deterioration of stone or metal through chemical processes.