Is "wrought" always negative?

Question

Please take a look at this sentence fragment: "democracy wrought by the U.S. occupation" without any context. I picked up from www.alc.co.jp

In the dictionary, most of the word "wrought" in example sentences (as follows) seem to be used with negative connotation. I have, therefore, reservation for using "wrought" in "democracy wrought by the US occupation, unless I really mean the US occupation did a bad job of instituting democracy to the country. Is the word "wrought" neutral? Or is it only used with negative connotation?

segregation wrought by housing pattern
tragedy wrought by hurricane
work to repair the damage wrought by natural disasters
democracy wrought by the U.S. occupation
devastation wrought by the war

Feebs11 · Accepted Answer

"Wrought" is the past of "to work" - some of your examples seem to me to use the wrong word. Tragedy wreaked by hurricanc and devastation wreaked by the war would make more sense.

CalifJim · Answer

wrought is an old word for worked, often meaning brought about; caused to come into existence. Though the examples you found do seem to be negative, the word is neutral. In fact, at the ceremony of the opening of the first telegraph system, Morse (the inventor of the code by that name) transmitted these words, the first message ever sent by telegraph: What *** hath wrought! (an old-fashioned form of (See) what *** has brought about!), thus comparing the new invention with something miraculous.
__________

In the sense of "manipulated", "handled", or "shaped", wrought is used in the combination wrought iron, iron formed into particular, sometimes decorative, shapes.

The old mansion was surrounded by a wrought iron fence.

CJ

Teleostomi · Answer

Feebs and CalifJim, thanks for your great answers!

Is "wrought" always negative?

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