wrongous

wrongous

English

Alternative forms

• wrongeous

Etymology

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

Adjective

wrongous (comparative more wrongous, superlative most wrongous)

1. (Britain dialectal, Scotland, especially law) Wrongful; not right; unjust; illegal.
   • 1817, Walter Scott, Rob Roy, Volume II, Chapter 13,

     “ […] It’s my opinion that the creature Dougal will have a good action of wrongous imprisonment and damages agane him, under the Act seventeen hundred and one, and I’ll see the creature righted.”

   • 1879, James Paterson, Reports of Scotch Appeals in the House of Lords

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

Derived terms

• wrongously

References

• wrongous in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.