Wrongly vs. wrongfully: what’s the difference?
The short answer
Wrongly typically refers to an error or incorrectness in a factual or procedural sense, while wrongfully implies a violation of ethics, law, or justice.
What they have in common
Both wrongly and wrongfully are adverbs and relate to actions or conditions that are not correct or unjust.
Examples
wrongly
- The alarm was wrongly set to 7 PM instead of 7 AM.
- He was wrongly accused of stealing the money.
wrongfully
- She was wrongfully dismissed from her job without cause.
- He was imprisoned wrongfully for a crime he did not commit.
Which one is more common?
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