English

Proverb

two wrongs don't make a right

1. (ethics) A wrongful action is not a morally appropriate way to correct or cancel a previous wrongful action.
   • 1915, William MacLeod Raine, The Highgrader, ch. 15:

     "But when it comes to taking what belongs to another—well, a thief is a thief. . . . After all, two wrongs don't make a right, do they?"

   • 2006, Clifton Brown, "Boxing: Mayweather Is Crowned, but not without a Fight," New York Times, 9 April (retrieved 17 June 2009):

     "Late in the fight, Roger told me Zab was going to do something dirty, and he did it," Mayweather said after the fight. "I didn't return it, because two wrongs don't make a right."

Antonyms

• two wrongs make a right