2
a
: having no legal sanction : unlawful
b
: having no legal claim
a wrongful heir
wrongfulness
noun
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
The State Department had designated him a wrongful detainee.
—
Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
Photo: Everett Collection The platonic ideal that all light-footed spy movies aspire to emulate, Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest gave him his biggest canvas yet to explore the theme of an innocent man attempting to outrun wrongful accusations and sinister forces.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
While there are a number of fixes the government could make to limit the wrongful detention of citizens, immigration authorities have often failed to follow through.
—Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 18 Mar. 2025
That standard is strict liability, which means a person is punished for a wrongful act occurring even if the person acted reasonably.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wrongful
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Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
Photo: Everett Collection The platonic ideal that all light-footed spy movies aspire to emulate, Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest gave him his biggest canvas yet to explore the theme of an innocent man attempting to outrun wrongful accusations and sinister forces.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
While there are a number of fixes the government could make to limit the wrongful detention of citizens, immigration authorities have often failed to follow through.
—Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 18 Mar. 2025
That standard is strict liability, which means a person is punished for a wrongful act occurring even if the person acted reasonably.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wrongful
Cite this Entry
“Wrongful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrongful. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wrongful
adjective
wrong·ful
ˈrȯŋ-fəl 
1
: wrong entry 2 sense 1
a wrongful act
2
: unlawful
wrongful possession of another's property
wrongfulness
noun
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