English

Noun

wrength ‎(plural wrengths)

1. The state or condition of being wrong; wrongness; wrongfulness; injustice.
   • 2012, Amber McRee Turner, Sway:

     "Dad," I said, "this isn't an in-between, is it?" "This isn't an in-between," He said. "Honestly, Cass, I'm at a loss for what to call this." "I know exactly what to call it," I said. "Wrength." "Wrength?" "Wrongness." In fact, the way I saw it, Mom had invented a whole new level of wrongness. A bad so bad that wrength might not even be capable of describing it. [...]"

   • 1905, Juvenile Nonfiction

     [...] Wrong is short-lived, and right must vanquish at length, If, scorning the wrong, we do others no wrength.

   • 1823, Ringan Gilhaize, The covenanters, by the author of Annals of the parish:

     Those who would exalt themselves by abetting the strength of the Godless, and the wrength of the oppressors.

Related terms

• wrong

Middle English

Etymology

From Old English *wrengþu ‎(“wrongfulness”), from Old English wrang ‎(“wrong”), or formed in Middle English, from wrong on analogy with strength and length.

Noun

wrength (plural wrengths)

1. The state or quality of being wrong, wrongfulness, injustice; crookedness; distortion.
   • c1220, Bestiary 85 in Old Eng. Misc. 3:

     Ðanne goð he to a ston, & he billeð ðer-on, Billeð til his bec biforn haueð ðe wrengðe forloren.

Descendants

• Scots: wrength
• English: wrength

Scots

Etymology

1823, from wrang, wrong ‎(“wrong”), formed on analogy with strength (from strong), length (from long) by R. Gilhaize Galt^[1], or from Middle English wrength ‎(“wrongfulness”). More at wrong.

Pronunciation

• enPR: rĕngth, IPA^(key): /rɛŋθ/

Noun

wrength ‎(plural wrengths)

1. wrongfulness, injustice

Related terms

• wrong

References

• William Graham, The Scots Word Book, "injustice", 1980.
• Notes:

1. ↑ Dictionary of the Scots Language, "wrength".