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

• unlawful
• illegal
• criminal
• illicit
• felonious

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

That is against the intent of the law and is wrongful. —Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025

Drake Solomon, who performed as Rocky, the Denver Nuggets mascot, has filed a lawsuit against the franchise for wrongful termination. —Denver Post, 14 Aug. 2025

Weathered by a quarter-century of wrongful incarceration, brothers seeking compensation Robert Bintz, 69, and his brother, David Bintz, 70, were wrongfully convicted of the 1987 murder of Sandra Lison, spending over two decades in prison until new DNA testing exonerated them in September. —Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 9 Aug. 2025

By Thomas Buckley, Bloomberg Walt Disney Co. settled a lawsuit brought by actress Gina Carano, who sued for wrongful termination after she was let go from the cast of the TV show The Mandalorian following comments that were deemed offensive. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2025

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