wrongful
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."
Definitions of wrongful
-
not just or fair
-
unlawfully violating the rights of others“wrongful death”“a wrongful diversion of trust income”
-
Synonyms:
-
unlawful
contrary to or prohibited by or defiant of law
-
unlawful
-
having no legally established claim“the wrongful heir to the throne”
-
synonyms:
unlawful
-
illegitimate
of marriages and offspring; not recognized as lawful
-
illegitimate
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘wrongful'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Look up wrongful for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
