Corruption Vocabulary

noun A criminal scheme in which money is extracted from businesses or individuals in exchange for protection from violence or other threats.

• The authorities have been cracking down on the protection racket operating in the city.
• I heard that Tony got caught up in a protection racket scheme.
• Don't get involved in that protection racket, it's bad news.
• The company's monopoly on the market is like a protection racket, stifling competition.

verb to take a portion of something, especially money, dishonestly or unfairly

• The corrupt official was found to have been raking off funds from the government budget.
• I heard that the company CEO has been raking off money from the company profits.
• The scam artist was caught raking off cash from unsuspecting victims.
• The dishonest contractor tried to rake off extra charges in the construction project.

noun a noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'spoils' and 'office' are both nouns.

• The mayor was accused of using public funds for personal gain, claiming the spoils of office.
• The new boss wasted no time in enjoying the spoils of office, driving around in a fancy car.
• Once he became the team captain, he started flaunting the spoils of office like he owned the place.
• As the CEO, she had access to the spoils of office, including power and influence.

adjective capable of being bought or influenced by money

• The judge was accused of being venal and accepting bribes.
• I heard that the politician is quite venal and only cares about money.
• Don't trust that guy, he's totally venal and will do anything for a quick buck.
• The company's decision to cut corners was a venal move that ultimately hurt their reputation.

noun a system of government that is run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens

• The citizens feared the country was descending into a kakistocracy as corruption became more rampant.
• Some people think our government is turning into a kakistocracy with all the scandals going on.
• I can't believe we're living under such a kakistocracy!
• The company's leadership was a kakistocracy, with incompetence at every level.