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.

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

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.

• French: juste
• German: rechtschaffen
• Italian: immacolato
• Portuguese: inocente
• Russian: добродетельый
• Spanish: inmaculado, inocente

• French: moral, juste
• Italian: intemerato, virtuoso
• Portuguese: digno
• Russian: благочести́вый
• Spanish: inmaculado, santo, beato

• German: gerecht, gerechtfertigt
• Italian: giustificato, legittimo
• Portuguese: justo
• Russian: справедли́вый
• Spanish: correcto, bienhechor, justo

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.