wrongful
Americanadjective
-
unjust or unfair.
a wrongful act; a wrongful charge.
-
having no legal right; unlawful.
The court ruled it was a wrongful diversion of trust income.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of wrongful
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at wrong, -ful
Explanation
If something's not fair, or especially if it's illegal, you can call it wrongful. If a company violates an employee's contract and fires her, that would be a wrongful termination. This adjective is mainly used in a legal context. Being arrested when there's no evidence is a wrongful arrest, and if you're found guilty of a crime you didn't commit, that would be a wrongful conviction. We've used this word since the 14th century to mean "not fair" or "unjust." It derives from an Old English word meaning "crooked or twisted."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But in June, the judge dismissed Baldoni's lawsuit, saying his team had "not adequately alleged that Lively's threats were wrongful extortion rather than legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions".
From BBC • May 4, 2026
Maurice Shakur claims that these developments make his wrongful death suit fundamentally different than the 1997 lawsuit.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
She appealed the verdict in the hope of clearing her name, while prosecutors also did so arguing that the sentence was too lenient and the acquittals were wrongful.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
The Coulson family sued Schwartz and his company for wrongful death.
From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026
I spent the next couple of days looking up more facts about wrongful convictions, and found out that the Innocence Project had an office in Boston.
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
