2
a
: having no legal sanction : unlawful
b
: having no legal claim
a wrongful heir
wrongfulness
noun
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
In 2021, Creech sued the company, alleging wrongful termination after being blamed for a fire that broke out at the facility the previous year.
—
Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
The defense intends to argue that the totality of circumstances — Subu’s wrongful imprisonment, his lifelong residence in the United States, and his record of rehabilitation — warrants reopening the case.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Emily, meanwhile, has put her legal degree to work volunteering with the California Innocence Center, which works to reverse wrongful convictions and help those freed from prison reenter society.
—Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025
Hamilton, who’d spent two decades in prison on a wrongful conviction, was flooded with frantic messages and calls from people on the inside.
—Jennifer Gonnerman, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wrongful
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Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
The defense intends to argue that the totality of circumstances — Subu’s wrongful imprisonment, his lifelong residence in the United States, and his record of rehabilitation — warrants reopening the case.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Emily, meanwhile, has put her legal degree to work volunteering with the California Innocence Center, which works to reverse wrongful convictions and help those freed from prison reenter society.
—Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025
Hamilton, who’d spent two decades in prison on a wrongful conviction, was flooded with frantic messages and calls from people on the inside.
—Jennifer Gonnerman, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wrongful
Cite this Entry
“Wrongful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrongful. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wrongful
adjective
wrong·ful
ˈrȯŋ-fəl 
1
: wrong entry 2 sense 1
a wrongful act
2
: unlawful
wrongful possession of another's property
wrongfulness
noun
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