wrongous

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

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.

Adjective

wrongous (comparative more wrongous, superlative most wrongous)

  1. (UK dialectal, Scotland, especially law) Wrongful; not right; unjust; illegal.
    • 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:
      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.
    • 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:
      [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, […]
    • 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

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References

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