wrongful

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹɒŋfəl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adjective

wrongful (comparative more wrongful, superlative most wrongful)

1. wrong or unjust

   Synonyms: iniquitous, unfair

   Antonyms: just, right

   • 1913, Sydney Waterlow, Shelley‎:

     And now, with the tyranny of wrongful power, "The loathsome mark has fallen, the mall remains Sceptreless, free, uncircumscribed, but man Equal, unclassed, tribeless, and nationless, Exempt from awe, worship, degree, the king Over himself; just, gentle, wise."

2. unlawful or illegal

   Synonyms: illicit, nonlawful; see also Thesaurus:unlawful

   Antonym: rightful

Derived terms

• wrongful birth
• wrongful death
• wrongful death statute
• wrongful dismissal

Translations

wrong or unjust

Bulgarian: грешен (bg) (grešen), неверен (bg) (neveren) Finnish: epäoikeudenmukainen (fi), oikeudeton (fi) Spanish: injusto (es), injustificado (es), indebido (es), torticero (es)

unlawful

Bulgarian: неправомерен (bg) (nepravomeren) Finnish: oikeudeton (fi) Spanish: culposo (es), ilegal (es)

Middle English

Alternative forms

• wrongfulle, wrongfol, wrongfull

Etymology

From wrong +‎ -ful.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwrɔnɡful/, [ˈwrɔŋɡful]
• (later ME) IPA^(key): /ˈrɔnɡful/, [ˈrɔŋɡful]

Adverb

wrongful

1. evil, sinful
2. wrongful, unethical
3. dishonest
4. harmful, hurtful
5. wrong, incorrect

Descendants

• English: wrongful

References

• “wrongful, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 18 March 2018.