different between corrupt vs degrade

English

Alternative forms

• corrumpt (archaic)
• corrump (obsolete)
• corroupt (rare)

Etymology

From Middle English corrupten, derived from Latin corruptus, past participle of corrump?, corrumpere (“to destroy, ruin, injure, spoil, corrupt, bribe”), from com- (“together”) + rumpere (“to break in pieces”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k????pt/
• Rhymes: -?pt

Adjective

corrupt (comparative more corrupt, superlative most corrupt)

1. In a depraved state; debased; perverted; morally degenerate; weak in morals.

   The government here is corrupt, so we'll emigrate to escape them.

   • The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
2. Abounding in errors; not genuine or correct; in an invalid state.

   The text of the manuscript is corrupt.

   It turned out that the program was corrupt - that's why it wouldn't open.

3. In a putrid state; spoiled; tainted; vitiated; unsound.

   • with such corrupt and pestilent bread to feed them.

Usage notes

• Nouns to which "corrupt" is often applied: practice, state, country, nation, regime, city, government, person, man, politician, leader, mayor, judge, member, minister, file, database, document, woman.

Synonyms

• corrupted

Translations

Verb

corrupt (third-person singular simple present corrupts, present participle corrupting, simple past and past participle corrupted)

1. (transitive) To make corrupt; to change from good to bad; to draw away from the right path; to deprave; to pervert.

   • And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

2. (archaic, intransitive) To become putrid, tainted, or otherwise impure; to putrefy; to rot.

   • he entrails, which are the parts aptest to corrupt
3. To debase or make impure by alterations or additions; to falsify.

4. To waste, spoil, or consume; to make worthless.

   • Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt.

Translations

Related terms

• corruptible
• corruption
• incorruptible

References

• corrupt in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• corrupt in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin corruptus or from Middle French corrupt.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??r?pt/
• Hyphenation: cor?rupt
• Rhymes: -?pt

Adjective

corrupt (comparative corrupter, superlative corruptst)

1. corrupt (lacking integrity, being prone to discriminating, open to bribes, etc.)

2. (textual criticism) corrupt (containing (many) errors)

3. deprave, morally corrupt

Inflection

Related terms

• corrumperen
• corruptie

Descendants

• Afrikaans: korrup
• ? Indonesian: korup
• ? West Frisian: korrupt

Middle French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin corruptus.

Adjective

corrupt m (feminine singular corrupte, masculine plural corrupts, feminine plural corruptes)

1. corrupt (impure; not in its original form)

English

Etymology

From Middle French dégrader

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d????e?d/, /di???e?d/

Rhymes: -e?d

Verb

degrade (third-person singular simple present degrades, present participle degrading, simple past and past participle degraded)

1. (transitive) To lower in value or social position.
   • 1859-1890, John G. Palfrey, History of New England to the Revolutionary War

     Prynne was sentenced by the Star Chamber Court to be degraded from the bar.

2. (intransitive, ergative) To reduce in quality or purity.

3. (transitive, geology) To reduce in altitude or magnitude, as hills and mountains; to wear down.

Derived terms

• degradation

Translations

Portuguese

Verb

degrade

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of degradar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of degradar
3. third-person singular imperative of degradar

Spanish

Verb

degrade

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of degradar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of degradar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of degradar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of degradar.