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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
The seductive pull of righteous retribution gives way to a full-on god complex, setting the stage for an extraordinary cautionary tale in the form of a cat-and-mouse procedural.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Since Xi Jinping assumed power in 2012, Chinese stories have increasingly included nods to Chinese nationalist (not just communist) soldiers fighting bravely, thus placing a strong, victorious, and morally righteous China at the forefront of the postwar global order.
—Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025
And as civil rights protesters proved decades ago, a righteous, peaceful protest that is met with brutality can unmute even a silent majority.
—Nancy Gibbs, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
The club thought Beane was righteous and entertaining enough to feature his rant — that the Bills even had to bleep — at the very beginning of their behind-the-scenes draft special.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for righteous
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Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Since Xi Jinping assumed power in 2012, Chinese stories have increasingly included nods to Chinese nationalist (not just communist) soldiers fighting bravely, thus placing a strong, victorious, and morally righteous China at the forefront of the postwar global order.
—Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025
And as civil rights protesters proved decades ago, a righteous, peaceful protest that is met with brutality can unmute even a silent majority.
—Nancy Gibbs, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
The club thought Beane was righteous and entertaining enough to feature his rant — that the Bills even had to bleep — at the very beginning of their behind-the-scenes draft special.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Oct. 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 5 Nov. 2025.
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