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
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
The anchor people who perpetuated this blatant mischaracterization of what the former president said were not behaving in a righteous manner.
—Byron Harlan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024
Thomas sits off to the side and admires their energy and righteous countercultural beliefs.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024
But Haley’s most righteous argument for holding fast through Super Tuesday is that voters have a right to voice their preference even if their preference is not likely to win — barring the Republican front-runner ending up behind bars.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024
Guelzo instead sides with historians who believe that Lincoln’s character remained consistent – that shifts in external conditions, more than any internal conversion, enabled his most righteous achievements.
—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Feb. 2024
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
The anchor people who perpetuated this blatant mischaracterization of what the former president said were not behaving in a righteous manner.
—Byron Harlan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024
Thomas sits off to the side and admires their energy and righteous countercultural beliefs.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024
But Haley’s most righteous argument for holding fast through Super Tuesday is that voters have a right to voice their preference even if their preference is not likely to win — barring the Republican front-runner ending up behind bars.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024
Guelzo instead sides with historians who believe that Lincoln’s character remained consistent – that shifts in external conditions, more than any internal conversion, enabled his most righteous achievements.
—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Feb. 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 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share