wrongful

adjective

wrong·​ful ˈrȯŋ-fəl How to pronounce wrongful (audio)
1
2
a
: having no legal sanction : unlawful
b
: having no legal claim
a wrongful heir
wrongfully adverb
wrongfulness noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In Tuesday’s order, the court denied a request by Melgar-Salmeron’s lawyers to appoint a special master to investigate authorities and officials involved in the wrongful deportation. Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 25 June 2025 That lieutenant, Sam Cirone, was also a defendant in a federal wrongful conviction lawsuit that the City Council this week agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle. Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025 The suit also alleges discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 June 2025 The Kansas City Chiefs were sued this week for wrongful termination and accused of racial discrimination by an NFL player who went on to work for nearly a decade as the team’s director of player engagement. Sean Neumann, People.com, 19 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrongful

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wrongful was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Wrongful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrongful. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

wrongful

adjective
wrong·​ful ˈrȯŋ-fəl How to pronounce wrongful (audio)
1
: wrong entry 2 sense 1
a wrongful act
2
: unlawful
wrongful possession of another's property
wrongfully adverb
wrongfulness noun

Legal Definition

wrongful

adjective
wrong·​ful ˈrȯŋ-fəl How to pronounce wrongful (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on wrongful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!