廉洁 (liánjié)

Incorrupt or honest and clean describes a person, especially an official, who is free from corruption and bribery, acting with complete integrity in their position.

Meanings

[adjective] incorrupt; honest and upright; clean-handed; free from corruption

Example Sentences

廉洁奉公是对每一位政府官员的基本要求。 Liánjié fènggōng shì duì měi yī wèi zhèngfǔ guānyuán de jīběn yāoqiú. Being incorrupt and devoted to public service is a basic requirement for every government official.

他以廉洁著称，在位多年从未接受过贿赂。 Tā yǐ liánjié zhùchēng, zàiwèi duō nián cóng wèi jiēshòuguò huìlù. He is known for his integrity and has never accepted a bribe throughout his years in office.

建设廉洁政府是社会公平正义的重要保障。 Jiànshè liánjié zhèngfǔ shì shèhuì gōngpíng zhèngyì de zhòngyào bǎozhàng. Building an incorrupt government is an important guarantee for social fairness and justice.

廉洁文化的建设需要全社会的共同努力。 Liánjié wénhuà de jiànshè xūyào quán shèhuì de gòngtóng nǔlì. Building a culture of integrity requires the joint efforts of the entire society.

反腐行动的目的是维护政府机构的廉洁性。 Fǎnfǔ xíngdòng de mùdì shì wéihù zhèngfǔ jīgòu de liánjié xìng. The purpose of anti-corruption actions is to safeguard the integrity of government institutions.

他在担任领导职务期间，始终保持廉洁自律。 Tā zài dānrèn lǐngdǎo zhíwù qījiān, shǐzhōng bǎochí liánjié zìlǜ. During his tenure as a leader, he always maintained integrity and self-discipline.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
廉洁奉公 (liánjié fènggōng)	to serve the public with integrity
廉洁自律 (liánjié zìlǜ)	self-disciplined integrity
廉洁政府 (liánjié zhèngfǔ)	clean/incorrupt government
廉洁文化 (liánjié wénhuà)	culture of integrity
廉洁从政 (liánjié cóngzhèng)	to engage in politics with integrity
保持廉洁 (bǎochí liánjié)	to maintain integrity

Usage Notes

廉洁 is a key term in Chinese political discourse, particularly in the context of anti-corruption campaigns (反腐败). It is the positive counterpart to concepts like 腐败 (corruption) and 贿赂 (bribery). The compound 廉洁奉公 (incorrupt and devoted to public service) is a set phrase used to describe the ideal civil servant.

廉洁 is primarily used to describe public officials, government bodies, and institutions. It is rarely used to describe private individuals in commercial settings -- in that context, 诚信 (integrity/honesty) is more common.

Memory Hook

廉 (frugal/incorrupt; the character suggests keeping things simple and within limits) + 洁 (clean/pure) -- being clean in character, with no dirty money or corrupt dealings attached.