'Wrongful' describes an action taken against someone that should never have been taken — it was unfair, or against the law, and the person it happened to had done nothing to deserve it. It is almost a legal word, and it sits in front of a small set of nouns you should learn as fixed pairs: wrongful arrest, wrongful dismissal (BrE) or wrongful termination (AmE, losing your job unfairly), wrongful conviction (found guilty when you were innocent), wrongful imprisonment, wrongful death.

'Wrongful' describes an action taken against someone that should never have been takenwrongful形容的是對某人做的一個本來就不該發生的行為 — it was unfair, or against the law這行為不公平，或違反法律, and the person it happened to had done nothing to deserve it而事情發生在他身上，是他完全不該承受的。It is almost a legal word這幾乎是個法律用字, and it sits in front of a small set of nouns you should learn as fixed pairs它前面固定接一小組名詞，要當成固定搭配來背: wrongful arrestwrongful arrest不當逮捕, wrongful dismissal (BrE) or wrongful termination (AmE, losing your job unfairly)wrongful dismissal（英式）或wrongful termination（美式，不當解雇）, wrongful conviction (found guilty when you were innocent)wrongful conviction（明明無辜卻被判有罪）, wrongful imprisonmentwrongful imprisonment不當監禁, wrongful deathwrongful death冤死。

Outside these set phrases it sounds strange, so do not use it as a general word for 'bad'.

Outside these set phrases it sounds strange離開這些固定搭配，這個字聽起來就很奇怪, so do not use it as a general word for 'bad'所以不要把它當成泛指「壞」的字來用。

Here is the part that surprises students: 'wrongful' looks at the ACT DONE TO the person, and quietly says the person was innocent. Compare 'wrong' — you can do something wrong yourself. Nobody says 'I did a wrongful thing'; you say 'I did something wrong'.

Here is the part that surprises students這裡有個讓學生意外的地方: 'wrongful' looks at the ACT DONE TO the personwrongful看的是「對這個人做了什麼行為」, and quietly says the person was innocent並悄悄地表示這個人是無辜的。Compare 'wrong'對比一下wrong — you can do something wrong yourself你可以自己「do something wrong（做錯事）」。Nobody says 'I did a wrongful thing'沒有人會說「I did a wrongful thing」; you say 'I did something wrong'你會說「I did something wrong」。

'Wrongful' points the finger at the police, the boss, the court — the side with power that used it badly. Because of that, the word usually appears where money and courts are involved: someone was treated unlawfully, and now they are suing.

'Wrongful' points the finger at the police, the boss, the courtwrongful指向的是警察、老闆、法院 — the side with power that used it badly那個有權力、卻用得不好的一方。Because of that正因如此, the word usually appears where money and courts are involved這個字通常出現在牽涉到錢和法院的場合: someone was treated unlawfully, and now they are suing有人被不合法地對待，而現在他要提告。

You will meet it far more often in the news and in contracts than in conversation.

You will meet it far more often in the news and in contracts than in conversation你在新聞和合約裡遇到它的機會，會遠比在日常對話裡多得多。