wrong

Wrong is a word in English that functions as an adjective, a noun, a verb, and, to a lesser extent, an adverb. Its core sense is deviation from what is correct, true, or proper. As an adjective, something is wrong if it is incorrect or morally improper: a wrong answer; a wrong assumption; a wrong action. As a noun, a wrong can be a harm, injustice, or violation: to commit a wrong; to suffer a wrong. As a verb, to wrong someone is to treat them unjustly or to cause them harm. As an adverb, wrong is typically informal; the standard adverb form is wrongly.

Etymology: from Old English wrang, meaning crooked or twisted, related to cognates in other West Germanic languages. The sense “not correct” developed in Middle English, while the moral sense emerged later.

Usage and sense distinctions: factual wrongness concerns errors or falsehoods; moral or ethical wrongness concerns violations of norms or duties. In law, wrongdoing and wrongful acts describe legally actionable harms or breaches of duty.

Common phrases include: go wrong, do the wrong thing, the wrong person, the wrong turn, the wrongdoer, and wrongdoing. Antonyms include right, correct, true, and virtuous; related terms include erroneous, false, immoral, and unjust.

See also: ethics, justice, error, mistake; in philosophy and jurisprudence, the concept of wrongness is analyzed as a property of actions or beliefs relative to normative standards.