corruption

dishonesty or moral decay in a system

Roots

com-: with, together, complete, or intensified
rump / rupt: break, burst, or break apart

Other words with the rump / rupt root

abrupt: sudden or unexpectedly broken off
corrupt: dishonest or spoiled by moral damage
disrupt: to interrupt or throw into disorder
disruption: break in order or normal flow
erupt: to burst out suddenly
eruption: a sudden bursting out
interrupt: to break into or stop the flow of something

Rupt gives break. Corruption is breakage inside trust, law, purity, or a system.

The investigation exposed years of quiet corruption behind the clean public speeches.

Corruption is dangerous because the outside may still look normal. The system stands, the office opens, the forms get stamped, but something inside has broken from honesty.