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 of wrongful

• 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

The Instagram and OnlyFans model also accused the rap star and his Yeezy company of wrongful termination, gender discrimination, fraud and other misconduct. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026

Suda filed suit for wrongful dismissal, and the museum countersued her for theft; the conflict is set to be resolved via arbitration, at a judge’s order, later this year. — News Desk, Artforum, 29 July 2026

In 2023, Ian was convicted of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking, cyberstalking, perjury and obstruction of justice for orchestrating the scheme that led to Hadley’s wrongful imprisonment. — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026

Meta significantly increased its reliance on AI for content moderation, shifting half its policing to models, though internal warnings cite rapid rollout and potential for wrongful bans. — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

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