Incorruptible

Incorruptible is an adjective used to describe something or someone that cannot be corrupted or easily influenced by decay, bribery, or moral compromise. The term comes from Latin incorruptibilis, formed from in- (not) plus corruptibilis (able to be corrupted). In everyday language it commonly refers to people who are presumed to maintain integrity and steadfast adherence to principle, especially in the face of temptation or pressure.

In moral and ethical usage, incorruptible character denotes steadfast honesty, fairness, and resistance to bribery or wrongdoing. Describing a person as incorruptible suggests a high level of ethical consistency and reliability, often in contexts such as public service, journalism, or law. The term can be aspirational or evaluative, and it is sometimes used critically to imply unyielding rigidity.

In religious and cultural contexts, incorruptibility has a more specific sense. In Catholic tradition, incorruptibility refers to the belief that some saints' bodies do not undergo ordinary decomposition after death, seen as a sign of holiness. This phenomenon, known as incorruptibility, is considered a correlate of sanctity by some but remains a topic of debate and is not a universal or official doctrine.

Related terms include integrity, unbribable, and incorrupt, though incorrputible is distinct in stressing a state of being not susceptible to corruption. The concept appears across moral, legal, and religious discourse as a measure of steadfast virtue or miraculous preservation, depending on the context.