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wrongdoing

C2
Fairly common

Pronunciation

UK

  • /rˈɒŋduːˌɪŋ/

US

  • /ˈrɔŋduɪŋ/

Meanings

Noun

  1. bad, dishonest, or illegal behavior

Beyond the definition

Wrongdoing refers to any act that breaks the law, goes against basic moral rules, or violates accepted standards of behavior. It is more than a simple mistake; it usually suggests a person acted on purpose or without enough care for what is right. A thief committing a crime is a clear example. But something like spreading hurtful gossip can also be seen this way because it causes harm. The seriousness of the act depends on the situation, ranging from a small offense to a serious crime.

1 of 2

Examples

  1. 1

    Corporate denial

    The company denied any wrongdoing.

  2. 2

    Admission

    She eventually admitted wrongdoing and resigned from her job.

  3. 3

    Investigation

    Investigators found no evidence of wrongdoing.

  4. 4

    Election

    Several officials were accused of wrongdoing during the election.

More examples
  1. 5

    Separate acts

    The report described several serious wrongdoings by senior managers.

    • Grammarwrongdoings

      separate bad acts; use the plural for more than one act

See also

Similar

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Used with (collocations)

  • allegations of wrongdoing
  • evidence of wrongdoing
  • admit wrongdoing
  • deny wrongdoing

Word family

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Forms and spellings

2 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • wrongdoingnoun

Forms

  • wrongdoingspluralnoun