Usage
What does righteousness mean? Righteousness is the quality of being virtuous, honorable, or morally right. It can also refer to such behavior. Righteousness is the noun form of the adjective righteous. Being righteous means doing what is right—obeying the law or adhering to morals. Both righteous and righteousness are often used in a religious context. Example: It’s not easy to follow the path of righteousness—in fact, if an action is difficult to take, it’s probably right!
Etymology
Origin of righteousness
First recorded before 900; Middle English rightwisnes(se), Old English rihtwīsnes; equivalent to righteous + -ness
Explanation
Righteousness is a feeling or way of life that is all about doing the right thing: righteousness shows great concern for morals and ethics. Righteousness may sound like an old-fashioned word, but it's a timeless concept. As you can tell from seeing the word right, this is a word about taking a stand and doing the right thing. Trying to help poor, oppressed people is a cause full of righteousness. Doing an unpopular thing that is ethical requires righteousness. People like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela definitely walked the path of righteousness.
Vocabulary lists containing righteousness
Figurative Language in King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Righteousness, after all, isn’t reflected in the standings.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2025
In Missouri, Thomas held a job as a teaching pastor at a large nondenominational church in St. Louis until January, when he left to work on Civil Righteousness full time.
From Slate • Aug. 7, 2020
Righteousness continues to wither away; evil is trending; a time or space outside the machine may no longer exist.
From The New Yorker • Dec. 14, 2019
Righteousness predominates, with scripts arranged so that all the pieces fall into order, that the wrong shall fail and the right prevail.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2019
Righteousness, regarded by itself, is not so readily appreciated.
From The Expositor's Bible: Ephesians by Findlay, G. G.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
