2
a
: morally right or justifiable
a righteous decision
b
: arising from an outraged sense of justice or morality
righteous indignation
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
With the camel’s back broken, Dorothy Scott, summoning all her righteous indignation (and channeled with maybe one-third of Audra McDonald’s extraordinary talent, which is still enough to power the city of Manhattan), lets the snobby scold have it.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
In Weapons’ frantic climax, Alex uses her magic against her, reclaiming what she’s taken from him—his mother, his father, his friends—in a moment of righteous comeuppance.
—Andy Crump, Time, 9 Aug. 2025
Yes, legit and righteous representation do matter, and as the lone male child in the clan Malcolm-Jamal remixed Theo Huxtable with an enchanting recipe of Black boy joy, a cool jazz meets hip-hop swagger, and an unsatiable thirst for the wholeness of life.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Support letters, filed by friends and family members in court, describe him as a charismatic and polite young man with righteous goals and aspirations.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for righteous
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Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
In Weapons’ frantic climax, Alex uses her magic against her, reclaiming what she’s taken from him—his mother, his father, his friends—in a moment of righteous comeuppance.
—Andy Crump, Time, 9 Aug. 2025
Yes, legit and righteous representation do matter, and as the lone male child in the clan Malcolm-Jamal remixed Theo Huxtable with an enchanting recipe of Black boy joy, a cool jazz meets hip-hop swagger, and an unsatiable thirst for the wholeness of life.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Support letters, filed by friends and family members in court, describe him as a charismatic and polite young man with righteous goals and aspirations.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for righteous
Cite this Entry
“Righteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/righteous. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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