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Corrupt vs Criminal - What's the difference?

corrupt | criminal | Related terms |

Corrupt is a related term of criminal.


As adjectives the difference between corrupt and criminal

is that corrupt is in a depraved state; debased; perverted; morally degenerate; weak in morals while criminal is being against the law; forbidden by law.

As a verb corrupt

is to make ; to change from good to bad; to draw away from the right path; to deprave; to pervert.

As a noun criminal is

a person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.

corrupt

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • In a depraved state; debased; perverted; morally degenerate; weak in morals.
    • The government here is corrupt , so we'll emigrate to escape them.
  • * Shakespeare
    • At what ease / Might corrupt' minds procure knaves as ' corrupt / To swear against you.
  • 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.
  • In a putrid state; spoiled; tainted; vitiated; unsound.
  • * Knolles
    • Who with such corrupt and pestilent bread would 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.

    Quotations

    * , Genesis 6:11 *: The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

    Synonyms

    * corrupted

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make ; to change from good to bad; to draw away from the right path; to deprave; to pervert.
    • Don't you dare corrupt my son with those disgusting pictures!
  • * , Genesis 6:12
    • And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
  • To become putrid or tainted; to putrefy; to rot.
    • (Francis Bacon)
  • To debase or render impure by alterations or innovations; to falsify.
    • to corrupt language, or a holy text
  • To waste, spoil, or consume; to make worthless.
  • * Bible, Matthew vi. 19
    • Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt .

    Related terms

    * corruptible * corruption * incorruptible

    References

    * *

    criminal

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Being against the law; forbidden by law.
  • * Addison
    • Foppish and fantastic ornaments are only indications of vice, not criminal in themselves.
  • Guilty of breaking the law.
  • * Rogers
    • The neglect of any of the relative duties renders us criminal in the sight of God.
  • Of or relating to crime or penal law.
  • * Hallam
    • The officers and servants of the crown, violating the personal liberty, or other right of the subject were in some cases liable to criminal process.
    His long criminal record suggests that he is a dangerous man.
  • (figuratively) Abhorrent or very undesirable, even if allowed by law.
    • ''Printing such asinine opinions without rebuttal is criminal , even when not libel!

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "criminal" is often applied: law, justice, court, procedure, prosecution, intent, case, record, act, action, behavior, code, offence, liability, investigation, conduct, defense, trial, history, responsibility, lawyer, tribunal, appeal, process, background, mind, conspiracy, evidence, gang, organization, underworld, jurisprudence, offender, jury, police, past, group, punishment, attorney, violence, report, career, psychology.

    Synonyms

    * illegal

    Derived terms

    * criminal conversation * criminalisation * criminalist * criminalistics * criminality * criminalize * criminal law * criminal-law * criminally * criminal negligence * criminalness * criminal-offence * criminal offence * criminal procedure * criminal record

    Related terms

    * criminate * crimination * criminologist * criminology * criminousness

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
    • , title=(The China Governess) , chapter=3 citation , passage=‘[…] There's every Staffordshire crime-piece ever made in this cabinet, and that's unique. The Van Hoyer Museum in New York hasn't that very rare second version of Maria Marten's Red Barn over there, nor the little Frederick George Manning—he was the criminal Dickens saw hanged on the roof of the gaol in Horsemonger Lane, by the way—’}}

    Synonyms

    * lawbreaker * offender * perpetrator * See also