wrongful

[rawng-fuhl, rong-]

adjective

1. unjust or unfair.

   a wrongful act; a wrongful charge.

2. having no legal right; unlawful.

   The court ruled it was a wrongful diversion of trust income.

wrongful

/ ˈrɒŋfʊl /

adjective

1. immoral, unjust, or illegal

Other Word Forms

• wrongfully adverb
• wrongfulness noun
• unwrongful adjective
• unwrongfully adverb
• unwrongfulness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wrongful¹

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; wrong, -ful

Example Sentences

More than 40 years after he was arrested for a murder he didn’t commit, a Southern California man accepted a $25-million wrongful conviction settlement offered by the city of Inglewood on Monday.

From Los Angeles Times

Nevertheless, the jury awarded Franklin $100,000 in damages for the “wrongful conduct.”

From Los Angeles Times

Raising the bar for guilty verdicts is intended to allay the concerns of some defence lawyers who fear the the abolition of the not proven verdict could increase the risk of wrongful convictions.

From BBC

The news outlet also noted that wrongful death lawsuits had been filed on behalf of all three victims of the collision.

From Los Angeles Times

Linehan has since said he does not regret any of his posts - adding he would be suing the police "for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment".

From BBC

Related Words

• illegitimate 
• illicit 
• improper 
• reprehensible 
• unethical 
• unfair 
• unjust 
• unlawful