1
2
a
: morally right or justifiable
a righteous decision/judgment/cause
… the movie takes a righteous approach vis-à-vis this Catholic sect's transgressions.—
Peter Debruge
Peter Debruge
b
: arising from an outraged sense of justice or morality
righteous indignation
Let betrayal forge our resolve. … In this extraordinary moment, righteous anger is not only justified—it is necessary.—Tony D'Andrea
Tony D'Andrea
righteously
adverb
righteousness
noun
Examples of righteous in a Sentence
The mix of Yorkshire-inherited bluntness and a caustic, chirpy South London cynicism (vividly parodied and perhaps too endearingly celebrated in the voice of Dora Chance, narrator of Wise Children) stops her from sounding righteous or dogmatic.
—Hermione Lee, Times Literary Supplement, 19 June 1992
I didn't know until long after I was grown that Grandpa Durham—that stern and righteous Baptist—sometimes made persimmon beer and cooled it in the cistern.
—Jim W. Corder, Chronicle of a Small Town, 1989
He was foreman at Lyman's North End foundry, the largest stove-making foundry in the city, and had risen in eleven years, despite his lung ailment, from apprentice to moulder to chief grievance spokesman, a voice of righteous reason from below.
—William Kennedy, Harper's, March 1988
The Believers tried to lead a simple, righteous life, practicing pacifism and confession of sins and recognizing the equality of all humankind.
—Robert P. Emlen, Natural History, September 1987
a righteous man can be trusted to act honorably regardless of the circumstances
righteous behavior is its own reward
Hermione Lee, Times Literary Supplement, 19 June 1992
I didn't know until long after I was grown that Grandpa Durham—that stern and righteous Baptist—sometimes made persimmon beer and cooled it in the cistern.
—Jim W. Corder, Chronicle of a Small Town, 1989
He was foreman at Lyman's North End foundry, the largest stove-making foundry in the city, and had risen in eleven years, despite his lung ailment, from apprentice to moulder to chief grievance spokesman, a voice of righteous reason from below.
—William Kennedy, Harper's, March 1988
The Believers tried to lead a simple, righteous life, practicing pacifism and confession of sins and recognizing the equality of all humankind.
—Robert P. Emlen, Natural History, September 1987
a righteous man can be trusted to act honorably regardless of the circumstances
righteous behavior is its own reward
Recent Examples on the Web
This visit to the UK for a righteous cause might have been a good opportunity for Harry and Charles to build on the brief meeting the father and son had last September.
—Roberta Mercuri, Vanity Fair, 18 Jan. 2026
What matters most here is not who appeared righteous or reckless in the moment, but what happens when legality is left unresolved.
—Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
The Los Angeles quartet will be the first to square their righteous politics with the day-to-day realities of making their band financially sustainable.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026
This, in turn, reinforced Webster’s own initial claim about his fight with the MPD cop—that Rathbun had provoked the encounter by striking him in the head, then lied about it to counter Webster’s righteous assertion of self-defense, resulting in his wrongful conviction.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for righteous
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Roberta Mercuri, Vanity Fair, 18 Jan. 2026
What matters most here is not who appeared righteous or reckless in the moment, but what happens when legality is left unresolved.
—Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
The Los Angeles quartet will be the first to square their righteous politics with the day-to-day realities of making their band financially sustainable.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026
This, in turn, reinforced Webster’s own initial claim about his fight with the MPD cop—that Rathbun had provoked the encounter by striking him in the head, then lied about it to counter Webster’s righteous assertion of self-defense, resulting in his wrongful conviction.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for righteous
Cite this Entry
“Righteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/righteous. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
