righteous - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From earlier rightuous, rightwose, rightwos, rightwise, from Middle English rightwise, rightwis, from Old English rihtwīs (“righteous, just”), 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.

righteous (comparative more righteous, superlative most righteous)

  1. Free from sin or guilt.
  2. Moral and virtuous, perhaps to the point of sanctimony.
    Human beings should take a righteous path, and so should art. We should promote kindness and beauty through art.
  3. Justified morally.
    righteous indignation
  4. (slang, US) Awesome; great.
    • 1986, John Hughes, Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Motion Picture), spoken by Grace Wheelberg (Edie McClurg):
      The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude.
    • 1995, Norman L. Russell, Doug Grad, Suicide Charlie: A Vietnam War Story, page 191:
      He sold me a bulging paper sack full of Cambodian Red for two dolla' MPC. A strange experience, copping from a kid, but it was righteous weed.
    • 2008, Stephen King, Graduation Afternoon:
      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.
  5. (slang, US) Major; large; significant.
    • 2021, G. S. Jennsen, Amaranthe V: Riven:
      He found Richard in one piece near a large circular container, thankfully, staring at a righteous mess of blood and gore.

free from sin or guilt

moral and virtuous, to the point of sanctimonious

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, published 2010, page 101:
      Thus for the purposes of being ‘righteoused’, the Law was irrelevant; yet Paul could not bear to see all the Law disappear.

  2. ^ Jespersen, Otto (1909) A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles (Sammlung germanischer Elementar- und Handbücher; 9)‎[1], volumes I: Sounds and Spellings, London: George Allen & Unwin, published 1961, § 12.41, page 346.