Meaning & use

righteous

adjective·Advanced

Morally right and justifiable, or acting in accordance with strong moral or religious principles.

See it in a sentence

The activist felt a righteous anger at the injustice she witnessed.

He was praised throughout the village for leading a righteous and honest life.

A note on using this word

"Righteous" can describe genuine moral virtue, but "self-righteous" carries a negative sense of smug moral superiority.

Words with a similar meaning

virtuousupright

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

wickedsinful

Make it your own

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