righteous

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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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.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈɹaɪt͡ʃəs/
  • (obsolete) IPA(key): /ˈɹaɪtjəs/, /ˈɹaɪti.əs/[1]
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪtʃəs

Adjective

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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.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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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.

References

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  1. ^ 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.
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