a. Also 5 wrangful. [f. WRONG sb. + -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. IV. II. 51. There is noo thinge so unjuste or so wrongfull but our Deputie here … wolde … suffer … the same.
1553. 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 or 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 ye ryght may be sayd cruell & wrongfull.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, II. vi. Where daunger would offer to make any wrongfull threatning upon him.
1656. Jer. Taylor, Holy Living, iii. § iv. 230 b (J.). He … must redeem his fault by alms and largesses to the poor, according to the value of his wrongful dealing as neere as he can proportion it.
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.
