汚職（おしょく、oshoku）
- corruption

The Japanese word 汚職, read おしょく, means "corruption" or "graft." It refers to the dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery, misuse of public funds, or abuse of authority for personal gain. It can encompass a wide range of illegal activities within government, business, or other organizations. The 汚職 can take many forms, including but not limited to, accepting bribes (賄賂), embezzlement (横領), and cronyism. It erodes public trust and undermines the rule of law.

⚫︎ 政府の汚職が問題になっている。 Translation: Corruption in the government is becoming a problem. ⚫︎ 汚職事件で、多くの政治家が辞任した。 Translation: Many politicians resigned due to the corruption scandal. ⚫︎ 会社の幹部が汚職に関与している疑いがある。 Translation: There is suspicion that the company executives are involved in corruption.

The word 汚職 is a formal term and is commonly used in news reports, official documents, and formal conversations when discussing cases of corruption. It's suitable for discussing systemic issues, investigations, or scandals related to dishonesty and abuse of power. It's less common in casual conversation, but it can be used to describe corruption in any situation. The use of 汚職, the conjugation of 汚職, or nearly identical words to 汚職 requires a degree of formality and is typically associated with negative situations.

The word 汚職 is typically written in kanji, 汚職. The reading is おしょく. There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana is standard, with no variation.

⚫︎ 不正 (ふせい) - Wrongdoing; injustice; illegality ⚫︎ 贈収賄 (ぞうしゅうわい) - Bribery ⚫︎ 腐敗 (ふはい) - Corruption; decay

⚫︎ 清廉 (せいれん) - Integrity; honesty; purity ⚫︎ 公正 (こうせい) - Fairness; justice

その会社の社長は、汚職に関与した疑いで逮捕された。 ・Translation: The president of that company was arrested on suspicion of involvement in corruption. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the arrest of a company president due to alleged corruption.

警察は、汚職の調査のために、政府の役所を捜索した。 ・Translation: The police searched the government office to investigate corruption. ・Explanation: This sentence explains that the police are investigating 汚職.

汚職 is a compound word: 汚 (お) means "dirty," "stained," or "corrupted," and 職 (しょく) means "position," "post," or "duty." Thus, the word literally describes a "corrupted duty" or a "dirty office," which accurately captures its meaning.