righteous

Meanings

Adjective

• Free from sin or guilt.
• Moral and virtuous, to the point of sanctimonious.
• Justified morally.
• Awesome; great.

Verb

• To make righteous; specifically, to justify religiously, to absolve from sin.

Origin

• From earlier rightuous, rightwose, rightwos, rightwise, from Middle English rightwise, rightwis, from Old English rihtwīs ("righteous, just, right, justifiable"), corresponding to right + -wise (with assimilation of second element to -ous), or to right + wise. Cognate with Scots richtwis ("righteous"), Old High German rehtwīsic ("righteous, just"), Icelandic réttvíss ("righteous, just"). Compare also thefteous, mighteous.