self-righteous
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- self-righteously adverb
- self-righteousness noun
- unself-righteous adjective
- unself-righteously adverb
- unself-righteousness noun
Etymology
Origin of self-righteous
First recorded in 1670–80
Explanation
A self-righteous person thinks their beliefs and morals are better than everyone else's. If you're quite sure the charity of others pales in comparison with yours, you might be self-righteous. Join the Old English words self, meaning "one's own person," and rightwise, meaning "virtuous," and you've got somebody who thinks very highly of their own morality. A self-righteous person thinks they can do no wrong, and goes about with a "holier-than-thou" attitude, judging and scrutinizing everyone else. A fur designer may view PETA activists as self-righteous when they picket his fashion show. You may consider a friend self-righteous when it comes to musical taste.
Vocabulary lists containing self-righteous
The Great Gilly Hopkins
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Divergent
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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 believes the negative reaction was self-righteous because the recordings captured an everyday occurrence and says people should stop judging.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
How would I experience it as the middle-aged tourist I am today, one who prefers comfort over self-righteous deprivation?
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026
Smug, as we use it as a synonym for conceited or self-righteous, emerged from its earlier sense of “neat and trim,” which is exactly the ideal of a pert bump.
From Slate • Jul. 21, 2025
We remember them as they actually are because we grew up among them: bitter, mean, and self-righteous.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2025
I can see the smug, self-righteous expressions on their faces change to shock and bewilderment.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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.
