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right·eous

(rīchəs)

adj.

1. Morally upright; without guilt or sin: a righteous parishioner.

2. In accordance with virtue or morality: a righteous judgment. See Synonyms at moral.

n. (used with a pl. verb)

Righteous people considered as a group.

[Middle English ryghtuous, alteration of rihtwise, from Old English rihtwīs : riht, right; see RIGHT + -wīse, -wise.]

righteous·ly adv.

righteous·ness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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