wrongful

/ˈrɔŋfəl/

/ˈrɒŋfʊl/

If something's not fair, or especially if it's illegal, you can call it wrongful. If a company violates an employee's contract and fires her, that would be a wrongful termination.

This adjective is mainly used in a legal context. Being arrested when there's no evidence is a wrongful arrest, and if you're found guilty of a crime you didn't commit, that would be a wrongful conviction. We've used this word since the 14th century to mean "not fair" or "unjust." It derives from an Old English word meaning "crooked or twisted."

Definitions of wrongful

1. adjective

   not just or fair
   “a wrongful act”

   “a wrongful charge”

   synonyms:

   unjust

   violating principles of justice
2. adjective

   unlawfully violating the rights of others
   “wrongful death”

   “a wrongful diversion of trust income”

   synonyms:

   unlawful

   contrary to or prohibited by or defiant of law
3. adjective

   having no legally established claim
   “the wrongful heir to the throne”

   synonyms: unlawful

   illegitimate

   of marriages and offspring; not recognized as lawful