graft
GRAFT
/ɡrɑːft/
The dishonest use of one's position or political influence to get money or advantages.
Graft specifically refers to the 'cut' or profit a politician or official takes from public funds or projects.
The story behind the word. Originally a horticultural term for inserting a shoot from one tree into another. In 19th-century American slang, it was applied to 'inserting' oneself into a stream of public money to take a share.
Word relationships
- venality: Venality is the quality of being open to bribery; graft is the actual profit made from that openness.
- philanthropy: The desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed by the generous donation of money.
Commonly confused with
- bribery: Bribery is the act of giving/taking; graft is the systematic profit or 'skim' taken by the official.
Word family
- graft (verb): To engage in political corruption.
Collocations
- political graft
- systemic graft
- exposed for graft
Example sentences
- "The city's history is marred by political graft, where every public works project required a secret payment to the ward boss." A historical analysis of urban politics.
- "Graft is the dishonest use of one's position to get money, often through the inflation of public contracts." A definition of political corruption. (Merriam-Webster (Legal Context))
Memory hook
Graft: Think of a politician 'grafting' a piece of the public budget onto their own bank account. Grafting public money into a private pocket.
When not to use
Do not use for general hard work (though 'graft' can mean hard work in British English slang, in a criminal context it always means corruption).
Fun facts
- In British English, 'graft' is often used positively to mean hard, honest work, which is the exact opposite of its American criminal meaning.
Related words
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