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Webster 1913 Edition

Righteous

Right′eous

,
Adj.
[OE.
rightways
,
rightwise
, AS.
rightwīs
;
riht
right +
wīs
wise, having wisdom, prudent. See
Right
,
Adj.
,
Wise
,
Adj.
]
Doing, or according with, that which is right; yielding to all their due; just; equitable; especially, free from wrong, guilt, or sin; holy;
as, a
righteous
man or act; a
righteous
retribution
.
Fearless in his
righteous
cause.
Milton.
Syn. – Upright; just; godly; holy; uncorrupt; virtuous; honest; equitable; rightful.

Webster 1828 Edition

Righteous

RIGHTEOUS

,
Adj.
ri'chus.
1.
Just; accordant to the divine law. Applied to persons, it denotes one who is holy in heart, and observant of the divine commands in practice; as a righteous man. Applied to things, it denotes consonant to the divine will or to justice; as a righteous act. It is used chiefly in theology, and applied to God, to his testimonies and to his saints.
The righteous, in Scripture, denote the servants of God, the saints.
2.
Just; equitable; merited.
And I thy righteous doom will bless.

Definition 2024

righteous

righteous

English

Alternative forms

Adjective

righteous ‎(comparative more righteous, superlative most righteous)

  1. Free from sin or guilt.
  2. Moral and virtuous, suggesting sanctimonious.
  3. Justified morally.
    righteous rage
  4. (slang, US) Awesome; great.
    • 2008, Stephen King, Graduation Weekend
      Tonight the kids will go out and party down in a more righteous mode. Alcohol and not a few tabs of X will be ingested. Club music will throb through big speakers.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

righteous ‎(third-person singular simple present righteouses, present participle righteousing, simple past and past participle righteoused)

  1. To make righteous; specifically, to justify religiously, to absolve from sin.
    • 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin 2010, p. 101:
      Thus for the purposes of being ‘righteoused’, the Law was irrelevant; yet Paul could not bear to see all the Law disappear.

Etymology

From earlier rightuous, rightwose, rightwos, rightwise, from Middle English rightwise, rightwis, from Old English rihtwīs ‎(“righteous, just, right, justifiable”), corresponding to right +‎ -wise (with assimilation of second element to -ous), or to right +‎ wise ‎(“way, manner”). Cognate with Scots richtwis ‎(“righteous”), Old High German rehtwīsic ‎(“righteous, just”), Icelandic réttvíss ‎(“righteous, just”). Compare also thefteous, mighteous.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɹaɪtʃəs/
  • Rhymes: -aɪtʃəs

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