wrongly
UK: ˈrɒŋli | US: ˈrɔːŋli
adv. in a mistaken or incorrect manner
adv. unjustly or unfairly
The word "wrongly" combines "wrong," derived from Old English wrang (meaning "twisted, unjust"), with the adverbial suffix "-ly," which originates from Old English -lice (used to form adverbs). The root "wrong" originally conveyed physical crookedness before evolving to describe moral or factual incorrectness. The suffix "-ly" systematically transforms adjectives into adverbs, preserving the core meaning while modifying grammatical function. This structure exemplifies how English builds nuanced modifiers from core concepts.
The suspect was wrongly accused of the crime.
She spelled the word wrongly in her essay.
The machine was installed wrongly, causing it to malfunction.
He believed his efforts had been wrongly criticized.
The law was applied wrongly in this case.