Meaning & use
wrongful imprisonment
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountablelegallaw
The act of holding someone in prison or otherwise depriving them of freedom unlawfully or unjustly.
Grammar: Used as a mass noun; it does not usually take a plural form.
Patterns
- be guilty of wrongful imprisonment
- sue for wrongful imprisonment
- a case of wrongful imprisonment
The court found the officer guilty of wrongful imprisonment.
She spent years fighting a claim of wrongful imprisonment.
The report documented widespread wrongful imprisonment during the conflict.
noununcountablelegallaw
A legal claim or civil action brought by someone who was imprisoned without lawful justification.
Grammar: Often used with 'for' or 'claim': a claim for wrongful imprisonment.
Patterns
- bring a claim for wrongful imprisonment
- file a lawsuit for wrongful imprisonment
He filed a lawsuit for wrongful imprisonment against the state.
The family brought a claim for wrongful imprisonment after the charges were dropped.
Common combinations
- claim for wrongful imprisonment
- The lawyer prepared a claim for wrongful imprisonment.
- sue for wrongful imprisonment
- They decided to sue for wrongful imprisonment.
- guilty of wrongful imprisonment
- The jury found the officer guilty of wrongful imprisonment.
- wrongful imprisonment case
- The wrongful imprisonment case attracted national attention.
Synonyms and how they differ
- false imprisonment
- The more common legal term for confining someone without legal authority; 'wrongful imprisonment' often stresses the injustice of the detention.
- unlawful detention
- A broader term that can include any illegal holding, not only in a prison.
Opposites
Word family
- wrongfully adverb
- In a way that is unjust or unlawful.
- imprison verb
- To put someone in prison.
- imprisonment noun
- The state of being in prison.
Commonly confused: wrongful imprisonment or false imprisonment?
wrongful imprisonment vs false imprisonment
A very similar legal term; 'false imprisonment' is the standard phrase in many legal systems, while 'wrongful imprisonment' is sometimes used for wrongful conviction and imprisonment.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'wrongful imprisonment' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Wrongful imprisonment' is a legal term for unlawfully holding someone. Option 0 fits this meaning. The others use it as a food, a purchase, or a weather report, which are not correct.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wrongful imprisonment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.