徇私舞弊

xùnsīwǔbì

idiom #95,259

Meanings

1 to abuse one's position for personal gain (idiom)
2 to engage in favoritism and fraud
3 corrupt self-dealing

Characters

to yield to; to comply with

private; personal interest

to manipulate; to play (with)

fraud; malpractice

Examples

他因徇私舞弊被开除公职。

Tā yīn xùnsīwǔbì bèi kāichú gōngzhí.

He was dismissed from public office for corrupt self-dealing.

法官徇私舞弊，严重破坏了司法公正。

Fǎguān xùnsīwǔbì, yánzhòng pòhuài le sīfǎ gōngzhèng.

The judge abused his position for personal gain, seriously damaging judicial fairness.

公司严禁员工徇私舞弊。

Gōngsī yánjìn yuángōng xùnsīwǔbì.

The company strictly forbids employees from engaging in favoritism and fraud.

Tips

history

Seen in Ming novel 《水浒全传》 ch.83: 贪滥无厌，徇私作弊 — insatiably greedy, giving in to favoritism and cheating. The wording solidified 徇私舞弊 as the formal term for corrupt abuse of office.

register

Legal/official register. Belongs in news reports, court language, and disciplinary notices — not casual complaints. Common pairing: 贪污腐败 (graft and corruption).

Stroke Order

徇 xùn

私 sī

舞 wǔ

弊 bì