Definition

Adjective 1. Free from corruption or dishonesty: Describes a person, especially in a position of power or authority, who is not influenced by bribery, fraud, or other immoral practices. It implies moral integrity and an inability to be bribed. 2. Not decayed or decomposed: (Archaic or specialized) Describes something, typically a physical object or body, that has not undergone physical decay or putrefaction.

Usage and Examples

• Describing moral integrity:
  • The judge was known to be incorrupt and fair, making decisions based solely on the law.
  • An incorrupt official is essential for a transparent government.
• Describing physical preservation (archaic/rare):
  • The saint's body was found to be miraculously incorrupt centuries after burial.

Advanced Usage

• "Incorrupt and incorruptible": Often used together for emphasis, though they are synonyms. "Incorrupt" describes a state of being free from corruption, while "incorruptible" emphasizes the inherent quality of being incapable of being corrupted.
  • He was an incorrupt public servant, an incorruptible man of principle.

Variants and Related Words

• Incorrupted (adjective): An older, less common variant with the same meanings as "incorrupt."
• Incorruptibility (noun): The quality of being incorruptible.
  • Her incorruptibility made her a trusted leader.
• Incorruptible (adjective): Incapable of being morally corrupted or bribed. This is the more commonly used term for describing a person's character.
  • He was seen as an incorruptible guardian of the public trust.

Synonyms

• Honest: Free of deceit; truthful and sincere.
• Unbribable: Incapable of being influenced by a bribe.
• Upright: Strictly honorable or honest.
• Uncorrupted: Not corrupted; synonymous in the moral sense.

Antonyms

• Corrupt: Willing to act dishonestly in return for personal gain.
• Venal: Showing or motivated by susceptibility to bribery.
• Dishonest: Behaving or prone to behave in an untrustworthy or fraudulent way.

Adjective

1. free of corruption or immorality
2. free of corruption or immorality
   • a policeman who was incorrupt and incorruptible