Rort

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɔː(ɹ)t/

Definitions

1. A corrupt activity that generally leads to financial misconduct or loss
2. An illegal or unethical plan designed to gain financial advantage through deceit
3. A fraudulent activity involving cheating or trickery for personal or monetary benefit

Etymology: "Rort" is Australian slang for a dishonest or fraudulent scheme, often a rigged arrangement that benefits insiders, such as a dodgy betting setup or a politician's self-serving allocation of funds. Its likely source is "rorty," an older English and Australian adjective meaning boisterous, rowdy, or saucy, with connotations of dissipation and risqué behaviour. The noun appears to be a back-formation, meaning it was produced by stripping an ending from the adjective and treating the remainder as a new word, rather than being built up from a root in the usual way. The shift from lively, rowdy behaviour to crooked dealing is the striking part. Nothing in the adjective's sense of high spirits obviously points toward fraud, so the move from boisterous mischief to a corrupt scheme is one of the less predictable routes a slang word can take. The noun was originally slang and has since become common in everyday Australian speech, especially in discussion of politics and sport.

Synonyms: fraud, scam, swindle, con, deception

Antonyms: honesty, integrity, truth, fairness, legitimacy