wrongful, a.
(ˈrɒŋfʊl)
Also 5 wrangful.
[f. wrong n. + -ful.]
1. Full of wrong, injustice, or injury; marked or characterized by wrong, unfairness, or violation of equity; unfair.
| c 1311 [see wrackful a.2]. 1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 211 Pandolf proued þe kyng, in his disputeson, He mayntend wrongfulle þing, & wild to no reson. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 358 Of his wrongful herte he demeth That al is wel. c 1445 Pecock Donet 94 Þouȝ al þis lijf be foule, peynful,..vnkynde, wrongful. ? 1520 Ld. J. Butler in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. II. 51 There is noo thinge so unjuste or so wrongfull but our Deputie here..wolde..suffer..the same. 1553 R. Ascham Germany 10 This fact was very wrongfull of the Pope for the deede. 1608 Yorksh. Trag. i. ii, Heape not wrongfull shame On her. 1697 Dryden æneis vi. 581 Nor want they lots, nor judges to review The wrongful sentence. 1810 Southey Kehama ii. iv, In that wrongful and upbraiding tone Kehama found relief. 1859 I. Taylor Logic in Theol. 261 A wrongful policy may be maintained. 1879 Tourgee Fool's Err. xl. 301 He regarded slavery simply as an unnatural and wrongful accident. |
b. Of actions: Performed, executed, or done unjustly, unfairly, or harmfully; injurious, harmful; unjust.
| c 1325 Spec. Gy Warw. 618 Þe kinde of þi manhede Wolde haue wreche of wrongful dede. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 358 Thei wrongfull werres usen. c 1400 Love Bonavent. Mirr. (1908) 186 Ȝeuynge occasioun of offence..by envie, false couetise, and wrongful demynge. 1502 Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) iv. viii. Q iv b, In suche maner that the stroke or the betynge after y⊇ ryght may be sayd cruell & wrongfull. a 1586 Sidney Arcadia ii. vi, Where daunger would offer to make any wrongfull threatning upon him. a 1667 Jer. Taylor (J.), He..must redeem his fault by alms, according to the value of his wrongful dealing. 1727 Bailey (vol. II), Usurping, a wrongful taking that which is another's Right. 1839–40 Wordsw. Sonn., ‘Fit retribution’ 5 She plants well-measured terrors in the road Of wrongful acts. 1877 E. R. Conder Basis of Faith v. 203 Passion, prejudice, and corrupt self-interest make wrongful entrance. |
† 2. Of persons: That commits wrong; that does wrong or injustice to (or against) another. Cf. wrong a. 4. Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif Luke xii. 58 Lest perauenture..the domesman bitake thee to the wrongful axere, and the wrongful axere sende thee in to prisoun. a 1425 Cursor M. 2204 (Trin.), Þis nembrot [was]..wrongful emperour, Robber & monqueller greet. Ibid. 11539 Wrooþ wex þat wrongful [v.r. wrangwis] kyng [= Herod]. 1549 Coverdale, etc. Erasm. Par. Rom. 25 It foloweth not that God is to any man wrongfull. Ibid. 1 Cor. 40 Yf we ryse not,..bothe you and I..are also founde wrongful agaynst god. a 1586 Sidney Ps. xxxviii. x, Mighty wrongfull foes, Who do evill for good. 1614 R. Harris Samuels Funerall (1618) 22, I shall be wrongfull to conceale the other. |
3. a. That is contrary to law, statute, or established rule; unlawful, illegal, tortious.
| c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶567 To yeuen conseil to areysen wrongful custumes and taillages. 1459 Paston Lett. I. 454 The wrongfull entre..made upon serteyn personys feffyd to myn use. 1483 Nottingham Rec. (1883) II. 395 Þe seid forcible & wrongfulle entree punysshable grevously by your lawes. 1596 Spenser State Irel. Wks. (Globe) 622/2 The wrongfull distrayning of any mans goodes. 1628 Coke On Litt. 277 b, When an estranger that no right hath presenteth to a Church,..the wrongfull act..is called an Usurpation. 1729 Jacob Law Dict. s.v. Trespass, They were the Goods of the Plaintiff, when the Taking will be wrongful. 1766 Blackstone Comm. II. ix. 150 Unless the owner..will declare his continuance to be tortious, or, in common language, wrongful. 1844 Macaulay Sp. 6 June (1854) 327 All the statutes of limitation..sanction possession which was originally wrongful. 1862 Chambers' Encycl. III. 462/1 It was regarded as treason to the king, inasmuch as it was a wrongful detaining of his free liegeman. 1871 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) IV. xvii. 36 To charge Godric with wrongful occupation of the King's land. |
b. Of persons: That is such without legitimacy or right; holding office, possession, etc., unlawfully or illegally; having no legal right or claim; = wrong a. 12.
| 1567 Golding Ovid's Met. v. 60 In reuengement of the right against the wrongfull heyre. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxii. §19 Charge them we cannot as..wrongfull possessors of that whereunto they haue right. 1612 Drayton Poly-olb. xii. 359 His..son..to death was lastly done, To set his rightful Crown upon a wrongful head. 1768 Blackstone Comm. III. 263 Seizing the franchise, or ousting the wrongful possessor. 1835 Dickens Sk. Boz, Greenwich Fair, There is a rightful heir..; and a wrongful heir, who loves her too. |
† c. Unjustly detained. Obs. rare—1.
| 1596 Spenser F.Q. v. viii. 27 The Prince..did of him requere That Damzell, whom he held as wrongfull prisonere. |
† 4. Of the nature of error; mistaken, incorrect, erroneous. Obs. rare.
| c 1470 Cath. Angl. 424/2 (A.), Wrongfulle, erroneus. 1562 Cooper Answ. Priv. Masse 113 To depende vpon your wrongefull interpretacion of Christes wordes. |