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

After four years of litigation, the wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of deceased pitcher Tyler Skaggs against the Angels will be decided at trial.

From Los Angeles Times

More than four years after the family of deceased Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs filed a wrongful death suit against the Angels, jury selection will begin Monday in Orange County Superior Court.

From Los Angeles Times

Her decision “threw the future of these Venezuelan citizens into disarray and exposed them to substantial risk of wrongful removal, separation from their families and loss of employment,” the panel wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Related Words

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