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
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of righteous
First recorded before 900; earlier rightwos, rightwis (remodeled with -ous ), Middle English; Old English rihtwīs; see right, wise 2
Explanation
Do you consider yourself a moral person, who tries to do good and be good? If the answer is yes, you are righteous — in the right. Being righteous literally means to be right, especially in a moral way. Religious people often talk about being righteous. In their view, the righteous person not only does the right thing for other people but also follows the laws of their religion. Heroes like Martin Luther King are often called righteous. On the other hand, this word can be a little negative. If you call someone self-righteous, it means they're a little too sure they're right and better than other people.
Vocabulary lists containing righteous
Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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Donald Trump Inauguration Address- January 20, 2017
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 14–18
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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.
She has a passion for classics like “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers and songs by Etta James and Aretha Franklin—though her top five artists overall included Taylor Swift, Sza and Kendrick Lamar.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
In a June interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Goodman hinted that he had decided to relocate, telling the publication that he was living in Charleston, S.C., where “The Righteous Gemstones” was filmed.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 10, 2025
The Kray twins were arrested and both the Righteous Brothers and Cilla Black were in the top 10 with You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'.
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2025
Under Sonny’s tutelage, she sang backup on several Spector recordings, including the Ronettes' “Be My Baby” and the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling.”
From Salon • Nov. 23, 2024
The rabbis called God “the Righteous One of the universe,”326 as if to indicate that God himself is meant by the Scriptural verse, “The righteous is an everlasting foundation of the world.”
From Jewish Theology by Kohler, Kaufmann
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.
