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 lawsuit alleges discrimination based on race, retaliation and/or wrongful termination and defamation, among other claims. — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026

Batie-Smoose is waging a wrongful termination lawsuit against SJSU. — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026

Take a wrongful termination case where the plaintiff asks for past and future wages loss, emotional dress, and damages for PTSD that allegedly occurred from a particularly stressful workplace. — Robert W. Wood, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Thirty years later, the state Supreme Court reversed the convictions and three years after that, the state paid them $25 million to settle their wrongful conviction suit. — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 19 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