A: To corrupt is to distort, deform and destroy someone or something – a person, an object, or an idea – regardless of the original state of the object of corruption. (On the one hand, one could consider an object which was originally in good condition and then corrupted – such as someone's physical features before an accident or a website before it is hacked into. On the other hand, there are objects which don't have a pre-corrupt state). Sometimes, we use the term "corrupt" to describe dishonesty. Political corruption also has several meanings. The classic definition, which was accepted until the beginning of the 20th century, explains political corruption as the destruction of society and politics, a situation in which civilians and politicians care only about themselves as individuals, and not about the good of the public as a whole. Today, when we speak about political corruption, we tend to focus on public figures' behavior, and to refer to bribery, embezzlement, and other ways in which public figures may take advantage of their office for the advancement of their own personal interests. The most widely accepted definition of the term today in academia and amongst international organizations that struggle to minimize public corruption is "to misuse one's public position in order to promote the personal interests of the public official."