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righteous

adjective
righ·​teous | \ ˈrī-chəs How to pronounce righteous (audio) \

Definition of righteous

1 : acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin
2a : morally right or justifiable a righteous decision
b : arising from an outraged sense of justice or morality righteous indignation
3 slang : genuine, excellent
Other Words from righteous Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about righteous

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Other Words from righteous

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
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Recent Examples on the Web

 So all you delusional and fake religious/ self righteous weirdos unfollow and unsubscribe. — Paula Rogo, Essence, "Ari Lennox Claps Back At Homophobic People: 'If You Don’t Support LGBTQ Community, You Don’t Support Me'," 3 Sep. 2019 Brandon Martin, as Coalhouse, could let more righteous anger come to the surface. — Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, "‘Ragtime’: Garden production is an American must-see | Review," 2 Sep. 2019 And always put your children first, even if that means surrendering a little of your own well-earned and righteous anger. — Ask Amy, al, "Ask Amy: Husband cheats and leaves and won’t even contact his sons," 19 Aug. 2019 And always put your children first, even if that means surrendering a little of your own well-earned and righteous anger. — Amy Dickinson, The Denver Post, "Ask Amy: Wronged wife doesn’t want to beg ex for contact," 19 Aug. 2019 Dancing around Tarantino's large-scale epic is a multitude of other cinematic jewels that draw on period-appropriate jams, leaving those of us who are Boomers with an inescapable, righteous conclusion: Damn, our music was good. — Michael Granberry, Dallas News, "Boomer madness: Summer of '69 casts a nostalgic haze over summer 2019 movies," 26 July 2019 The figure of the righteous protestant astronaut was epitomized in John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth as part of NASA’s Mercury program, who frequently invoked his religious commitments at press conferences. — Daniel Oberhaus, WIRED, "Spaceflight and Spirituality, a Complicated Relationship," 16 July 2019 What of the righteous and courageous protagonists in the fight against slavery? — David French, National Review, "The South Is a Pro-Life Stronghold," 11 July 2019 View Sample Sign Up Now Most Democrats were full of righteous indignation. — Jane Eisner, Time, "Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib Were Barred From Entering Israel. The Damage Will Extend Far Beyond Their Blocked Visit," 16 Aug. 2019

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.

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First Known Use of righteous

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for righteous

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

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More Definitions for righteous

righteous

adjective
How to pronounce righteous (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of righteous

formal
: morally good : following religious or moral laws
: caused by something that you believe is not morally right or fair

See the full definition for righteous in the English Language Learners Dictionary

righteous

adjective
righ·​teous | \ ˈrī-chəs How to pronounce righteous (audio) \

Kids Definition of righteous

1 : doing or being what is just or proper righteous people a righteous action
2

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