To make someone behave dishonestly or illegally, or to damage or ruin something by making it worse.
From Latin 'corruptus,' past participle of 'corrumpere' meaning to break up or destroy; suggests something once whole is now broken or spoiled.
The word 'corrupt' literally means 'broken apart'—and studies show that power actually changes brain chemistry, making powerful people literally less able to empathize, which is maybe why corruption spreads so easily at the top.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.