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
Synonyms
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
Thanks to a month of combat training before filming, Sawai wasn’t concerned with the action choreography so much as finding the right balance of poise and righteous anger that the performative fight deserved.
—Jake Kring-Schreifels, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Biden needs Israel to win its war against the terrorist group Hamas — a righteous war in which the U.S. has invested its treasure and prestige — with all possible alacrity.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 17 Apr. 2024
Behind these righteous pronouncements, though, lurked Storer’s unspoken fear: that if men like him did not intervene, middle-class wives would shirk their childbearing duties, leaving their husbands without heirs while poor and immigrant families swelled their ranks.
—TIME, 15 Apr. 2024
The war Israel launched on Hamas after the group’s horrific October 7 attacks is a righteous mission.
—Ami Ayalon, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2024
Through her, the movie takes a righteous approach vis-à-vis this Catholic sect’s transgressions.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
Thusly inspired and trained, Kid goes on a righteous rampage and literally fights his way to the top floor of the villainous big boss.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
What one man considers hateful another considers righteous.
—The Editors, National Review, 4 Apr. 2024
Vengeance, no matter how righteous, can take a toll.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Jake Kring-Schreifels, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Biden needs Israel to win its war against the terrorist group Hamas — a righteous war in which the U.S. has invested its treasure and prestige — with all possible alacrity.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 17 Apr. 2024
Behind these righteous pronouncements, though, lurked Storer’s unspoken fear: that if men like him did not intervene, middle-class wives would shirk their childbearing duties, leaving their husbands without heirs while poor and immigrant families swelled their ranks.
—TIME, 15 Apr. 2024
The war Israel launched on Hamas after the group’s horrific October 7 attacks is a righteous mission.
—Ami Ayalon, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2024
Through her, the movie takes a righteous approach vis-à-vis this Catholic sect’s transgressions.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
Thusly inspired and trained, Kid goes on a righteous rampage and literally fights his way to the top floor of the villainous big boss.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
What one man considers hateful another considers righteous.
—The Editors, National Review, 4 Apr. 2024
Vengeance, no matter how righteous, can take a toll.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'righteous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near righteous
Cite this Entry
“Righteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/righteous. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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