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Meaning & use

righteousness

noun·Academicformal

Last updated

UK/ˈraɪtʃəsnəs/
US/ˈraɪtʃəsnəs/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    The quality of living honestly and doing what is morally right.

    Grammar: Used without an or an: a life of righteousness.

    Patterns

    • a life of righteousness
    • the path of righteousness

    The old judge was admired for his righteousness and fairness.

    She walked the path of righteousness even when it cost her friends.

    The sermon spoke of righteousness in everyday dealings.

  2. noununcountabledisapproving

    A strong, sometimes smug, feeling that you are morally in the right.

    Grammar: Often used with self- or with an adjective such as smug: self-righteousness, moral righteousness.

    Patterns

    • a sense of righteousness
    • with righteousness

    He lectured us with such righteousness that nobody wanted to reply.

    A tone of righteousness crept into her emails.

    Their righteousness about recycling annoyed the neighbors.

  3. noununcountablereligion

    In many religions, the state of being in a right relationship with God.

    Grammar: Appears mostly in religious teaching and sacred texts.

    Patterns

    • righteousness before God

    The preacher explained that righteousness comes through faith.

    Many hymns celebrate righteousness and mercy.

Common combinations

moral righteousness
He acted with moral righteousness when he reported the fraud.
self-righteousness
His self-righteousness made him hard to work with.
a sense of righteousness
She felt a deep sense of righteousness after the protest.
path of righteousness
The teacher urged students to follow the path of righteousness.
in righteousness
The king promised to rule in righteousness.
righteousness and justice
The speech called for righteousness and justice.

Synonyms and how they differ

virtue
Virtue is a good quality of character, whereas righteousness stresses acting rightly according to moral law.
integrity
Integrity highlights honesty and consistency, and carries no hint of smugness the way righteousness sometimes can.
morality
Morality is a system of right and wrong, while righteousness is the quality of following it.
piety
Piety stresses religious devotion, whereas righteousness is about moral behavior in general.

Opposites

wickednesssin

Word family

righteous adjective
morally right or justified
righteously adverb
in a morally right way, or with strong anger
self-righteous adjective
too sure that you are morally better than others
right adjective
morally good or correct

Commonly confused: righteousness or rightfulness?

righteousness vs rightfulness

Rightfulness means having a legal or fair claim to something, not moral goodness in general.

Practice

The politician's constant ___ made voters feel he looked down on them.

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