Cor*rup"tion (k?r-r?p"sh?n), n. [F. corruption, L. corruptio.] 1. The act of corrupting or making putrid, or state of being corrupt or putrid; decomposition or disorganization, in the process of putrefaction; putrefaction; deterioration.

The inducing and accelerating of putrefaction is a subject of very universal inquiry; for corruption is a reciprocal to "generation".
Bacon.

2. The product of corruption; putrid matter.

3. The act of corrupting or of impairing integrity, virtue, or moral principle; the state of being corrupted or debased; loss of purity or integrity; depravity; wickedness; impurity; bribery.

It was necessary, by exposing the gross corruptions of monasteries, . . . to exite popular indignation against them.
Hallam.

They abstained from some of the worst methods of corruption usual to their party in its earlier days.
Bancroft.

&fist; Corruption, when applied to officers, trustees, etc., signifies the inducing a violation of duty by means of pecuniary considerations. Abbott.

4. The act of changing, or of being changed, for the worse; departure from what is pure, simple, or correct; as, a corruption of style; corruption in language.

Corruption of blood can be removed only by act of Parliament.
Blackstone.

Syn. -- Putrescence; putrefaction; defilement; contamination; deprivation; debasement; adulteration; depravity; taint. See Depravity.

• The act of corrupting or making putrid, or state of being corrupt or putrid; decomposition or disorganization, in the process of putrefaction; putrefaction; deterioration.
  
• Something that is evil but is supposed to be good.
       The inducing and accelerating of putrefaction is a subject of very universal inquiry; for corruption is a reciprocal to generation. — Francis Bacon.
  
• The product of corruption; putrid matter.
  
• The act of corrupting or of impairing integrity, virtue, or moral principle; the state of being corrupted or debased; loss of purity or integrity; depravity; wickedness; impurity; bribery.
       It was necessary, by exposing the gross corruptions of monasteries, . . . to exite popular indignation against them. — Hallam
       They abstained from some of the worst methods of corruption usual to their party in its earlier days. — Bancroft
       
• Usage note: Corruption, when applied to officers, trustees, etc., signifies the inducing a violation of duty by means of pecuniary considerations. — Abbott
  
• The act of changing, or of being changed, for the worse; departure from what is pure, simple, or correct; as, a corruption of style; corruption in language.
  
• (linguistics) A word that has adopted from another language but whose spelling has been changed through misunderstanding, transcription error, mishearing, etc.
  
• Parts of a machine can be corrupted, meaning broken.
  
• Corruption is used, especially poetically, to describe the decomposition of biological matter. This usage is archaic.