# wrongful

/ˈɹɔŋfəɫ/ (US) · /ɹˈɒŋfəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wrongful
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. legally unfair or illegal

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

describes an action that is not legal or follows the wrong process, especially in a way that is unfair to someone.

For teachers: denoting an action that is unlawful or violates legal rights, particularly regarding procedural fairness.

- The former employee sued the company for wrongful dismissal after being fired without a reason.
- The court awarded significant damages after determining that the plaintiff had been a victim of wrongful imprisonment for over a decade.

Usage: Commonly used in fixed legal collocations such as 'wrongful death', 'wrongful dismissal', or 'wrongful conviction'.

### 2. morally unfair

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal · Literary

describes something that is morally bad or unfair, even if it is not strictly against a specific law.

For teachers: characterised by being unjust or morally wrong in a broader social or ethical sense.

- Many people felt the seizure of the family's land was a wrongful act.
- The historian argued that the wrongful treatment of the indigenous population had been ignored by previous generations of scholars.

## Examples

- The former employee sued the company for wrongful dismissal.
- After new evidence came to light, the court overturned his wrongful conviction for a crime he did not commit.
- The legal team argued that the wrongful death of the patient was a direct result of the hospital's failure to follow safety protocols.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.