self-righteous
adjective
self-righ·teous
ˌself-ˈrī-chəs 
: convinced of one's own righteousness especially in contrast with the actions and beliefs of others : narrow-mindedly moralistic
self-righteously
adverb
self-righteousness
noun
Examples of self-righteous in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While religious iconography abounds — and makes for some handy weapons, in a pinch — Cecilia’s crisis isn’t one of faith but of bodily autonomy, an indictment of self-righteous authority figures who use religion to gaslight and control female bodies.
—
Jen Yamato, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
Mariko is a more reserved, subtle character who lights up the screen, even without self-righteous tirades.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024
Braugher first rose to fame as a dramatic actor on Homicide: Life on the Street, portraying Frank Pembleton, a self-righteous, unyielding Baltimore police detective.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2023
During the controversial match, Williams exploded in self-righteous fury at officiating decisions, briefly turning the crowd against Osaka and leaving her in tears even in victory.
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2024
Were postwar luminaries, such as the Belgian socialist leader Paul-Henri Spaak and Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito, really towering figures compared with whom former German Chancellor Angela Merkel is but a self-righteous naive who underestimated Russian President Vladimir Putin?
—Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
In this case, the self-righteous stalker-invader is her father, Jacob (Ben Mendelsohn), who raised her in a cabin in the marshland wilderness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, teaching her how to hunt and survive.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Nov. 2023
If Harbaugh is implicated as knowing, then the punishment will worsen dramatically and he will be sent to the social media gallows as a self-righteous fraud.
—J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2023
Their exchange is terse and extremely one-sided in favor of the self-righteous Bosch.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2023
Jen Yamato, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
Mariko is a more reserved, subtle character who lights up the screen, even without self-righteous tirades.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024
Braugher first rose to fame as a dramatic actor on Homicide: Life on the Street, portraying Frank Pembleton, a self-righteous, unyielding Baltimore police detective.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2023
During the controversial match, Williams exploded in self-righteous fury at officiating decisions, briefly turning the crowd against Osaka and leaving her in tears even in victory.
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2024
Were postwar luminaries, such as the Belgian socialist leader Paul-Henri Spaak and Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito, really towering figures compared with whom former German Chancellor Angela Merkel is but a self-righteous naive who underestimated Russian President Vladimir Putin?
—Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
In this case, the self-righteous stalker-invader is her father, Jacob (Ben Mendelsohn), who raised her in a cabin in the marshland wilderness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, teaching her how to hunt and survive.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Nov. 2023
If Harbaugh is implicated as knowing, then the punishment will worsen dramatically and he will be sent to the social media gallows as a self-righteous fraud.
—J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2023
Their exchange is terse and extremely one-sided in favor of the self-righteous Bosch.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-righteous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1680, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of self-righteous was
circa 1680
Dictionary Entries Near self-righteous
Cite this Entry
“Self-righteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-righteous. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
self-righteous
adjective
self-righ·teous
ˈsel-ˈfrī-chəs
: strongly convinced of the rightness of one's actions or beliefs
self-righteously
adverb
self-righteousness
noun
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