Definition of RIGHTEOUSNESS

Choose the Right Synonym for righteous

moral, ethical, virtuous, righteous, noble mean conforming to a standard of what is right and good. moral implies conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions of right and wrong. the basic moral values of a community ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity. committed to the highest ethical principles virtuous implies moral excellence in character. not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious. wished to be righteous before God and the world noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character. had the noblest of reasons for seeking office

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

Recent Examples on the Web No, this time their righteous indignation is directed at the government, teachers and some pesky teenage girls who just happened to come from the other side of the border. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: They’re kids. Helping them doesn’t take anything away from yours, so don’t frame this as “us v. them”," 2 Apr. 2021 The brilliance of Gotanda’s enduring hit play lies in its ability to convey decades of Asian-American struggle to be seen through the prism of an unlikely friendship, all with righteous anger, heartbreak and abundant humor. — Los Angeles Times, "A reading guide on the Asian American experience from Viet Thanh Nguyen, Charles Yu and more," 25 Mar. 2021 Some progressives do not see the Project as righteous. — Paige Williams, The New Yorker, "Inside the Lincoln Project’s War Room," 5 Oct. 2020 Self-righteous elites rant about carbon footprints, needless border security, defunding the police, gun control, and charter schools. — Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, "Wealthy and Woke," 8 Apr. 2021 Deeply aggrieved, self-righteous, and well-armed, a substantial percentage of these belligerents harbor a far greater commitment to whiteness than to American democracy. — Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, The New Republic, "The Unacceptable Costs of Appeasing MAGA Nation," 21 Dec. 2020 Is Surveillance, out April 9th on Get Better Records — the righteous Philly DIY label that has brought us great punk records by bands like Empath, Control Top, and Suzie True — and Don Giovanni Records. — Simon Vozick-levinson, Rolling Stone, "Evan Greer Celebrates Trans History With ‘The Tyranny of Either/Or’," 31 Mar. 2021 Although sometimes dense, Winant’s language often feels imbued with a sort of restrained, righteous fury. — Scott W. Stern, The New Republic, "A Rust Belt City’s New Working Class," 31 Mar. 2021 Chavez’s main cause — bringing dignity to farmworkers — remains so radical and righteous that to criticize his personal failures is still largely verboten. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, "Column: Woke California pays homage this week to another American hero with a complex legacy," 29 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'righteous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.