corrupt
UK: kəˈrʌpt | US: kəˈrʌpt
adj. 1. willing to act dishonestly in return for personal gain.
adj. 2. (of data or software) altered or damaged, rendering it unusable.
vt. 1. to cause someone or something to become morally depraved or dishonest.
vt. 2. to alter or damage data, making it unreadable or dysfunctional.
corrupt = cor<completely> + rupt<break>
- cor (from Latin com-, meaning "completely" or "thoroughly")
- rupt (from Latin rumpere, meaning "to break")
Etymology Origin:
The word corrupt originates from Latin corruptus, the past participle of corrumpere ("to destroy, spoil, bribe"). The prefix cor- (intensified form of com-) emphasizes totality, while rupt reflects the idea of breaking or violating integrity. Over time, the term evolved to describe both moral decay (breaking ethical norms) and technical failure (breaking data integrity).
The corrupt official accepted bribes to ignore illegal activities.
Power tends to corrupt those who wield it without accountability.
A virus corrupted the files, making them impossible to recover.
The judge was accused of corrupting the legal process.
Ancient texts warn that absolute power corrupts absolutely.