incorruptible

[ in-kuh-ruhp-tuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. not corruptible:

   incorruptible integrity.

   Synonyms: unbribable, righteous, upright

2. that cannot be perverted or bribed:

   incorruptible by money.

3. that will not dissolve, disintegrate, decay, etc.:

   an incorruptible metal.

incorruptible

/ ˌɪnkəˈrʌptəbəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being corrupted; honest; just
2. not subject to decay or decomposition

Derived Forms

• ˌincorˌruptiˈbility, noun
• ˌincorˈruptibly, adverb

Other Words From

• incor·rupti·bili·ty incor·rupti·ble·ness noun
• incor·rupti·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of incorruptible¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Late Latin word incorruptibilis. See in- ³, corruptible

Example Sentences

He has built an image as a tireless, incorruptible worker for a country on the rise.

From New York Times

At the Hanover event, Mr. Phillips called himself “incorruptible” and accused his colleagues in Congress of spending their time appeasing donors and “dialing for dollars.”

From New York Times

To Calabresi, the questioning of this largess by the “left wing” is “sickening and unfair,” since in his view Thomas is “the best and most incorruptible Supreme Court justice in U.S. history.”

From Los Angeles Times

Married to nurse Tyler Macbeth since 2019, Kasselakis has said that "Greek people are ready to have a prime minister who is capable, incorruptible, unscathed and happens to be gay."

From Reuters

Many voters have been swayed by Mr. Modi’s carefully crafted image — one of an incorruptible leader who is also a kind of spiritual guru, detached from the demands of family and marriage.

From New York Times

More About Incorruptible

What does incorruptible mean?

Incorruptible is an adjective most commonly used to describe someone or an institution that cannot be caused to be dishonest or act immorally.

It is the opposite of corruptible, which is used to describe those who can be corrupted, often easily.

The verb corrupt means to destroy the integrity of someone or something or cause someone to be dishonest.

As an adjective, corrupt is commonly used to describe members of organizations or institutions who engage in illegal or otherwise dishonest practices to benefit themselves. It can also be used in this way to describe their actions or institutions that have a lot of corruption.

Corrupt and corruption are most often used in the context of such rulebreaking by people who are powerful or who are responsible for the well-being of others, such as politicians, government officials, and police officers.

More generally, corrupt be used as an adjective that means depraved, debased, or having been made worse in some way. It can also be used as a verb meaning to make someone or something depraved, debased, or worse in some way.

Someone who’s corruptible will offer little resistance when they’re pressured to do the wrong thing—or they may even seek out an opportunity to break the rules to benefit themselves, such as by taking a bribe. Someone who’s incorruptible is honest and unbribable.

Example: Bribes and kickbacks are their normal way of doing business, so they try to push out anyone who’s incorruptible.

Where does incorruptible come from?

The first records of the word incorruptible come from the 1300s. Its base word, corrupt, ultimately derives from the Latin verb corrumpere, meaning “to ruin” (or literally “to break to pieces”), from the verb rumpere, “to break.” The prefix in- is used to mean “not” and the suffix -ible is a variant of -able, making incorruptible literally mean “not able to be corrupted.”

People described as corrupt are usually those who are supposed to be upholding the rules but instead break the rules to benefit themselves—typically to get richer or more powerful. But they may not have always been that way. Money and power are often tempting to people who are corruptible. But people who are incorruptible are not tempted by such things. U.S. lawman Eliot Ness famously recruited a group of incorruptible crimefighters to bring down gangster Al Capone during the Prohibition era. Ness was said to have turned down bribes from gangsters who wanted him to ignore their illegal activities, and his squad was nicknamed “The Untouchables” for being unbribable.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to incorruptible?

• corruptible (adjective)
• incorruptibility (noun)
• incorruptibleness (noun)
• incorruptibly (adverb)

What are some words that share a root or word element with incorruptible? 

• corrupt
• corruption
• rupture

What are some words that often get used in discussing incorruptible?

• integrity
• honesty
• bribe
• impressionable
• crooked
• politician
• official
• morals

How is incorruptible used in real life?

Incorruptible is most commonly used to describe people who can resist being influenced to do the wrong thing, especially officials who cannot be bribed.

The truly incorruptible people are people for whom money means very little.

— Mark Essien (@markessien) June 15, 2020

Platini: "You know the people who are corrupt, they know who can be corruptible. They know I am incorruptible."

— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) May 27, 2011

Our justice system is supposed to represent the best of us: principled, fair, equal and incorruptible. Underpinned by centuries-old common values that bind and protect us all! When justice is hijacked, we all lose https://t.co/yjxuE9ugTD

— blakandblack (@BlakandBlack) December 5, 2018

 

 

Try using incorruptible!

Is incorruptible used correctly in the following sentence?

I know you think that anyone can be bought for the right price, but I think some people are incorruptible.