righteous

adjective

righ·​teous ˈrī-chəs How to pronounce righteous (audio)
1
: acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin
2
a
: morally right or justifiable
a righteous decision
b
: arising from an outraged sense of justice or morality
righteous indignation
3
slang : genuine, excellent
righteously adverb
righteousness noun
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The nurse lets Moss pass, and the moment scans as a righteous victory. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024 Clouzot supplied that insight in strong visual terms: Fresnay’s conflicting impiety and righteous anger and so much dissatisfaction and panic among the townsfolk. Armond White, National Review, 20 Nov. 2024 Later, Schwimmer and accomplices turned themselves in; most of them were Jewish, and argued that seeing the abject cruelty and genocide perpetrated against the Jews in the Holocaust steeled their resolve to make a righteous moral choice. Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024 To say thanks with the tongue. To express gratitude by doing righteous deeds. Diane Owens Prettyman, Austin American-Statesman, 13 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for righteous 

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier rightuous, alteration of Middle English rightwise, rightwos, from Old English rihtwīs, from riht, noun, right + wīs wise

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of righteous was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near righteous

Cite this Entry

“Righteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/righteous. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

righteous

adjective
righ·​teous ˈrī-chəs How to pronounce righteous (audio)
1
: acting rightly : upright
2
a
: according to what is right
righteous actions
b
: caused by an insult to one's sense of what is right
righteous anger
righteously adverb
righteousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on righteous

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