wrongdoing
n.behavior that is illegal, dishonest, or morally wrong. You use this word when someone breaks a rule or a law.
n.illegal, dishonest, or unethical behavior. Often used in legal or formal contexts to describe actions that violate established codes of conduct.
“The investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing.”
“The company fired the manager after several employees reported his financial wrongdoing to the board.”
“While the audit did not uncover criminal activity, it highlighted several instances of administrative wrongdoing that suggested a systemic lack of oversight.”
Typically used in the singular as an abstract concept; when referring to specific acts, 'wrongdoings' is possible but less common.
“Both Barrowman and Mone have denied any wrongdoing in relation to those contracts that were worth more than £200m.”
“A lawyer for Aguirre denied his client’s wrongdoing.”
From Middle English wrong doyng, wrong doynge, wrong doinge, equivalent to wrong + doing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.