wrongful

adjective

wrong·​ful ˈrȯŋ-fəl 

1

: wrong, unjust

2

a

: having no legal sanction : unlawful

b

: having no legal claim

a wrongful heir

wrongfully

ˈrȯŋ-fə-lē 

adverb

wrongfulness noun

Synonyms

• criminal
• felonious
• illegal
• illegitimate
• illicit
• lawless
• unlawful

Examples of wrongful in a Sentence

He is suing his former employer for wrongful termination.

charged with wrongful possession of narcotics

Recent Examples on the Web

But when pressed by Rogan for examples of election interference, Trump repeated debunked claims of wrongful acts by state governments and fraud. —Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024

Her opponent, Franky Carrillo, is a criminal justice reform advocate who was exonerated on a wrongful murder conviction. —Anabel Sosa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024

The executions also confirm that the government makes mistakes and takes shortcuts that lead to wrongful convictions. —Brian Stull, TIME, 27 Sep. 2024

The particular state law just keeps doing its thing and rarely gets challenged as somehow wrongful or imprudent. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing wrongful

• wrongful birth
• wrongful death

Kids Definition

wrongful

adjective

wrong·​ful ˈrȯŋ-fəl 

1

: wrong entry 2 sense 1

a wrongful act

2

: unlawful

wrongful possession of another's property

wrongfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

wrongfulness noun

Legal Definition

wrongful

adjective

wrong·​ful ˈrȯŋ-fəl 

1

: constituting a wrong

especially : injurious to the rights of another

a wrongful act or omission

2

: unlawful

remained in wrongful occupation of the property

a wrongful occupant

wrongfully adverb

wrongfulness noun