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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Corrupt: Definition, Examples, and Common Usage (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：dishonest (corrupt)

corrupt 🔊

/kəˈrʌpt/

v./adj.

Using power in a dishonest way for personal gain, like taking bribes.

Corrupt official accepting bribe in office

dishonest 🔊

➕

/dɪsˈɒnɪst/

v./adj.

Using official power in a deceitful or illegal way to gain personal benefits, often through bribery.

📁 Category：Countries & Government 🔖 Level：Advanced

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Latin 'corruptus' from 'corrumpere' (break), from 'com-' (together) + 'rumpere'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'co' + 'rupt' (break) - corrupt officials break the law together.

📖 Example

The mayor was arrested because he was found to be a corrupt official who accepted money to approve construction projects. 🔊 The mayor was arrested for being a dishonest official who took bribes to approve building projects.

🔗 Collocations

corrupt official – a public servant who abuses power for personal gain

corrupt practice – illegal or unethical behavior in business or government

corrupt system – an institution that is thoroughly compromised by bribery

🔄 Synonyms

venal (adj.) – willing to accept bribes or act dishonestly for money

unscrupulous (adj.) – having no moral scruples; dishonest

bribable (adj.) – capable of being bribed

🚫 Antonyms

honest (adj.) – truthful and morally upright

upright (adj.) – strictly honest or moral

scrupulous (adj.) – diligent in ethical matters

🌱 Derivatives

corruption (n.) – the act of being corrupt

corruptly (adv.) – in a corrupt manner

corruptness (n.) – the quality of being corrupt

📖 Cultural Story

Originally meant 'to break into pieces' in Latin. The moral sense of 'perverted from integrity' emerged in English by the 14th century.

Meaning 2：corrupted (corrupt)

corrupt 🔊

/kəˈrʌpt/

v./adj.

Broken or messed up so it doesn't work right. Often used for computer files that are damaged.

corrupted 🔊

➕

/kəˈrʌptɪd/

v./adj.

Describes a computer file or data that has been damaged or altered unexpectedly, making it unusable or erroneous.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

I couldn't open my essay because the file on my USB drive got corrupt after the computer suddenly shut down. 🔊 I could not open my essay because the file on my USB drive became corrupted after the computer suddenly turned off.

🔗 Collocations

corrupt file – a file that is damaged and cannot be read

corrupt data – information that has been altered or lost integrity

corrupt memory – RAM or storage that has errors causing software crashes

🔄 Synonyms

damaged (adj.) – harmed or impaired in function

defective (adj.) – having a flaw that prevents proper operation

invalid (adj.) – not valid, often due to corruption in data

🚫 Antonyms

intact (adj.) – not damaged; whole

sound (adj.) – in good condition; undamaged

valid (adj.) – legally or factually correct; not corrupted

🌱 Derivatives

corruption (n.) – the state of being corrupted, e.g., data corruption