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
OpenAI is now facing seven wrongful-death lawsuits, which allege that ChatGPT prompted several suicides and a murder.
—
Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Opening April 9; The Fear of 13, the wrongful conviction drama starring Adrien Brody, played eight previews at the James Earl Jones, filling 88% of seats and grossing $870,954.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
In addition to those three, 35 other individuals submitted forms pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), under which the government recognizes liability for negligent or wrongful acts of its employees.
—Max Rego, The Hill, 31 Mar. 2026
In all, the Tribune identified more than 320 lawsuits in the last decade for which the city hired at least one private firm to defend it in federal court against a wrongful conviction allegation.
—Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wrongful
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Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Opening April 9; The Fear of 13, the wrongful conviction drama starring Adrien Brody, played eight previews at the James Earl Jones, filling 88% of seats and grossing $870,954.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
In addition to those three, 35 other individuals submitted forms pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), under which the government recognizes liability for negligent or wrongful acts of its employees.
—Max Rego, The Hill, 31 Mar. 2026
In all, the Tribune identified more than 320 lawsuits in the last decade for which the city hired at least one private firm to defend it in federal court against a wrongful conviction allegation.
—Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wrongful
Cite this Entry
“Wrongful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrongful. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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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