moral corruption
Rot of character
Moral corruption is the decay or degradation of ethical principles—a turning away from integrity toward dishonesty, self-dealing, or abuse of position.
The phrase often describes officials who betray public trust: The investigation revealed widespread moral corruption in city government.
Unlike simple rule-breaking, moral corruption suggests a rottenness of character, where someone knows right from wrong but chooses wrong anyway.
- immoralityQuality of being wicked
- venalityOpenness to bribes
- hypocrisyPretense of virtue
- greedExcessive desire for wealth
- abuse of powerMisusing entrusted authority
dishonesty · selling out · deceit · duplicity · bribery · cronyism · fraudulence · selfishness · turpitude · graft · ill-gotten gains · evil · malfeasance · exploitation · nepotism · conflict of interest · blackmail · betrayal
- drama themesrevenge, betrayal, forbidden love, love triangle, family conflict
- scandalscandal, infamy, disgrace, coverup, cover-up
- satirelampoon, parody, parody account, political satire, spoof
- FaustianMephistopheles, Faust, Goethe, devil pact, Dr. Faustus
- French RealismBalzac, Flaubert, Zola, Gustave Flaubert, Emile Zola
- Gothic LiteratureEdgar Allan Poe, Jane Eyre, Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights, The Tell-Tale Heart
moral corruptionvirtue
Moral goodness or merit
moral integrity · righteousness · moral purity · innocence · moral rectitude
moral corruptionpurity
Uncontaminated quality
sanctity · holiness · spiritual purity · blamelessness · sinlessness
moral corruptioninnocence
Freedom from wrongdoing
moral purity · purity · incorruptibility · blamelessness · guilelessness