wrongous

W4R1O1N1G2O1U1S1

adjective

Wrongful; not right; unjust; illegal.

OriginMiddle English wrongous ← Old English wrangwīs →
Scrabble 12
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Meanings

adjectivewrongous (comparative more wrongous, superlative most wrongous)

comparative more wrongous · superlative most wrongous · alternative wrongeous

  1. ScotlandUKdialectalespeciallylawWrongful; not right; unjust; illegal.

    If the prisoner is detained an unreasonable time, he would have an action for wrongous imprisonment.

    1879, James Paterson, Reports of Scotch Appeals in the House of Lords
    2 more examples

    It's my opinion that the creature Dougal will have a good action of wrongous imprisonment and damages again him, under the Act seventeen hundred and one, and I'll see the creature righted.

    1817 December 31 (indicated as 1818), [Walter Scott], chapter III, in Rob Roy. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 61

    [T]he prisoner being liberate in manner foresaid, it shall not be lawful to put or detain him in prison for the same crime, under the penalty of wrongous imprisonment, […]

    1828, James Watson, “Wrongous Imprisonment”, in A Practical View of the Statute Law of Scotland, from the Year MCCCCXXIV to the Close of the Session of Parliament MDCCCXXVII, […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] [James Walker] for Bell & Bradfute, and Thomas M. Shiells, →OCLC, page 415

Origin

  1. Old Englishwrangwīs“wrongous, rough, uneven”
  2. Middle Englishwrongous
  3. Englishwrongous

From Middle English wrongous, for earlier wrongwis, wrangwis, from Old English wrangwīs (“wrongous, rough, uneven”), equivalent to wrong + -ous (see also wrongwise). Cognate with Swedish vrångvis (“wrong, iniquitous”). See wrong, and compare righteous.

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ukrainian протиправний, неправий
  • протиправний (protypravnyj)wrongful, not right, unjust, ilegal
  • неправий (nepravyj)wrongful, not right, unjust, ilegal
  • несправедливий (nespravedlyvyj)wrongful, not right, unjust, ilegal
  • незаконний (nezakonnyj)wrongful, not right, unjust, ilegal
Cite this entry
APA

wrongous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wrongous

MLA

“wrongous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wrongous. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wrongous,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wrongous.

Source: wrongous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.