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

Recent works include Camino Ghosts (May 2024), the third book in his Camino Island series, and Framed (October 2024), a non-fiction exploration of wrongful convictions, co-written with Jim McCloskey. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2024

The Kamara family filed a legal claim against San Diego County last spring alleging wrongful arrest and death and seeking unspecified damages. —Jeff McDonald, The Mercury News, 10 Dec. 2024

Estimates of the rate of wrongful convictions in the United States vary widely. —Gina Barton, USA TODAY, 5 Dec. 2024

In September 2021, Team Roc filed suit against the Kansas City PD for the release of more records relating to wrongful behavior on the part of its officers. —Jelani Cobb, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 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