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
Mavromatis, in a complaint filed on Wednesday in North Carolina federal court, alleges violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act, wrongful discharge and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
—
Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
Although the state of emergency has slashed El Salvador’s homicide rate, authorities have arrested over 91,000 people, with human rights groups documenting thousands of wrongful detentions.
—Marcos Aleman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Her lawsuit accused Donaldson’s companies of a violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act, wrongful termination, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
The family of a man shot and killed by the Aventura Police Department at a salon where his wife worked filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the agency, claiming the man’s death was unwarranted, a violation of his human rights and caused by negligence.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wrongful
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Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
Although the state of emergency has slashed El Salvador’s homicide rate, authorities have arrested over 91,000 people, with human rights groups documenting thousands of wrongful detentions.
—Marcos Aleman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Her lawsuit accused Donaldson’s companies of a violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act, wrongful termination, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
The family of a man shot and killed by the Aventura Police Department at a salon where his wife worked filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the agency, claiming the man’s death was unwarranted, a violation of his human rights and caused by negligence.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 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 1 May. 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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