What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
suborn
Example
The defendant was accused of trying to suborn witnesses to lie on the stand. [suborn: verb]
Example
The politician was caught attempting to suborn a government official to secure a contract for his company. [suborning: gerund or present participle]
corrupt
Example
The corrupt official embezzled millions of dollars from the government. [corrupt: adjective]
Example
The company was found guilty of corrupting public officials to secure contracts. [corrupting: gerund or present participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Corrupt is more commonly used than suborn in everyday language. Corrupt is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while suborn is less common and is typically used in legal or formal contexts.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between suborn and corrupt?
Suborn is a more formal word than corrupt, and is typically used in legal or academic contexts.
