righteous
Americanadjective
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characterized by uprightness or morality.
a righteous observance of the law.
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morally right or justifiable.
righteous indignation.
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acting in an upright, moral way; virtuous.
a righteous and godly person.
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Slang. absolutely genuine or wonderful.
some righteous playing by a jazz great.
noun
adjective
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characterized by, proceeding from, or in accordance with accepted standards of morality, justice, or uprightness; virtuous
a righteous man
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( as collective noun ; preceded by the )
the righteous
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morally justifiable or right, esp from one's own point of view
righteous indignation
Usage
What does righteous mean? Righteous is an adjective that means virtuous, honorable, or morally right.Being righteous means doing what is right—obeying the law or adhering to morals. It is often used in a religious context.Example: It’s not easy to engage in righteous behavior—in fact, if an action is difficult to take, it’s probably right!
Other Word Forms
- overrighteous adjective
- overrighteously adverb
- overrighteousness noun
- prerighteous adjective
- prerighteously adverb
- prerighteousness noun
- quasi-righteous adjective
- quasi-righteously adverb
- righteously adverb
- righteousness noun
- superrighteous adjective
- superrighteously adverb
- superrighteousness noun
Etymology
Origin of righteous
First recorded before 900; earlier rightwos, rightwis (remodeled with -ous ), Middle English; Old English rihtwīs; right, wise 2
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.
No one should ever be above skepticism no matter how sanctified and righteous they may seem — that’s why the New York Times investigation crashed into the Chicano collective sense of self like a meteor.
From Los Angeles Times
In this column, I wrote about a high-profile spy drama released last year that casts unification as righteous, worth any sacrifice, and historically inevitable.
Tante Jans seized the pot and glared into it with righteous zeal.
From Literature
Mr. Lewis likens that behavior to a distemperate Roman emperor’s: destroying film projects in righteous displays of his own power; acquiring, and promptly discarding, cars and wives.
Pixar’s robot animals have a righteous cause in ‘Hoppers,’ the Whitney Biennial takes the temperature of American art, and more.
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.
