righteous
Etymology

From earlier rightuous, rightwose, rightwos, rightwise, from Middle English rightwise, rightwis, from Old English rihtwīs, corresponding to right + -wise (with assimilation of second element to -ous), or to right + wise.

Pronunciation
  • IPA: /ˈɹaɪt͡ʃəs/
  • IPA: /ˈɹaɪtjəs/, /ˈɹaɪti.əs/
Adjective

righteous

  1. Free from sin or guilt.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Proverbs 28:1 ↗:
      The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bolde as a lyon.
  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.
    • 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.
  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.
Translations Translations Translations Verb

righteous (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.



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