ENGLISH
REFERENCE

wrongful

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˈɹɔŋfəɫ// UK //ɹˈɒŋfəl// wrong·ful

adj. unfair, illegal, or not based on any good reason. It is often used to describe a legal decision or an action that hurts someone's rights.

adj. unfair, unjust, or legally incorrect. Typically describes actions or legal outcomes that violate a person's rights or the law.


SIMPLE

The former employee sued the company for wrongful dismissal.

CONTEXTUAL

After new evidence came to light, the court overturned his wrongful conviction for a crime he did not commit.

COMPLEX

The legal team argued that the wrongful death of the patient was a direct result of the hospital's failure to follow safety protocols.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English wrongful, equivalent to wrong + -ful.

Usage

Often used in legal collocations such as 'wrongful dismissal', 'wrongful conviction', or 'wrongful death'.

Pitfall

a wrongly convictiona wrongful convictionUse the adjective 'wrongful' to modify the noun directly; 'wrongly' is an adverb used to modify verbs.

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