▪ I. righteous, a., adv., and n.
(ˈraɪtjəs, ˈraɪtʃəs)
Forms: 1 reht-, 1–4 riht-, 3–5 riȝt- (etc., as right a.); also 1–6 -wis, 3–6 -wise (5 Sc. -vise), -wys(e, 5 -wijs), 4–5 -wiss, -wyss (5 -wisse, Sc. -uis), 5–6 -wes (5 -wesse), 5–6 -wos (5 -wose), 5–6 -uous(e, 6 Sc. -uus), 6 -ous (Sc. -us).
[OE. rihtw{iacu}s, ryhtw{iacu}s, f. riht, ryht right n.1 + w{iacu}s wise a. (or right a. + w{iacu}s, w{iacu}se way, manner, wise n.): cf. ON. réttv{iacu}ss (Da. retvis, Sw. rättvis), perh. from OE., and OHG. rehtwîsig.
The orig. spelling rightwise remained in use till the 16th cent. (in some late examples perhaps confused with right wise); the obscured endings, -wos(e, -uous appear in the 15th, and righteous in the first half of the 16th.]
1. a. Of persons: Just, upright, virtuous; guiltless, sinless; conforming to the standard of the divine or the moral law; acting rightly or justly.
| α c 825 Vesp. Psalter x. 8 Forðon rehtwis [is] dryhten. c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxvii. §2 Se Wisdom ᵹedeð his lufiendas..ᵹeþyldiᵹe & rihtwise. Ibid. xxxix. §13 He is cyning & dryhten..& rihtwis dema. 971 Blickl. Hom. 95 Uton beon eaþmode & mildheorte..& beon rihtwise on urum mode wiþ oþre men. c 1100 O.E. Chron. (MS. D) an. 1067, Ful oft se unᵹeleaffulla wer bið ᵹehalᵹad..þurh þæt rihtwise wif. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 231 He haueð ᵹerimed rihtwisan mannan infer to his rice. c 1200 Ormin 2880 Josæp wass rihhtwis, & tatt iss tunnderrstanndenn Forr þatt hiss trowwþe wass full god. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 516 Lamech [was born] of matusalé, And of lamech riȝt-wise noé. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 675 Þe ryȝt-wys man schal se hys face. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 905 Thisbe, And ryght-wis god to euery lover sende..moore prosperite Than ever hadde Piramus. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xi. 46, I hafe synned, betrayand riȝtwyse blude. a 1425 Seven Sag. (P.) 2754 Syre, ryghtwys emperour, Thou dost thy selven lytyl honour. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1570) 205 None rightwiser then he Is in the worlde, nor of more noblenes. 1577 St. Aug. Medit. A v b, But Christ is iust In hym haue trust And hys iustice Makes thee rightwise. |
| β c 1440 Partonope 5806 He ys a ryghtwos man and full sage. 1486 Hen. VII at York in Surtees Misc. (1890) 54 Most reverend, rightwose regent of this rigalitie. 1523 [Coverdale] Old God (1534) K iij b, Unto the euerlastynge ryghtuous, moost good..god. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. v. 308 A Prince maist godlie and rychtuous. |
| γ 1526 Tindale Matt. xxiii. 35 From the bloud of righteous Abell, vnto the bloud of zacharias. 1561 J. Daus tr. Bullinger on Apoc. (1573) 69 b, There is nothyng better,..righteouser, or holyer, than he. 1607 Shakes. Timon iv. ii. 4 Let me be recorded by the righteous Gods, I am as poore as you. 1671 Milton P.R. i. 425 What but thy malice mov'd thee to misdeem Of righteous Job? 1736 Butler Anal. i. iii, A righteous government..which necessarily implies a righteous governor. 1797 Mrs. Radcliffe Italian x, ‘To what do you allude, righteous father?’ inquired the astonished Marchesa. 1864 Pusey Lect. Daniel (1876) 523 A righteous intercessor for man. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 92 He who is righteous in the treatment of his slaves..will sow in them the seed of virtue. |
| absol. c 825 Vesp. Psalter cxxiv. 3 Ne forleteð dryhten ᵹerd synfulra ofer hlet rehtwisra. c 1000 ælfric Hom. II. 322 And rihtwisra siðfæt is swilce scinende leoht. c 1400 Cursor M. 25246 (Cott. Galba), In þis point also we pray For all rightwiss on domesday. a 1530 Myrr. our Ladye 159 Of men, and of aungels, of ryght wyse and of synners. |
b. absol. (in
sing. or
pl.) with
the.
| c 825 Vesp. Psalter v. 13 Ðu bledsas ðone rehtwisan. c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. iii. §4 Ᵹesihst þu nu þæt þa rihtwisan sint laðe & forþrycte. c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 350 Ᵹif se rihtwisa ᵹecyrð fram his rihtwisnysse. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 67 Ure louerd..shodeð þe rihtwise an his riht⁓halue and wurðeð hem. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1043 Salt ðu noȝt ðe riȝt-wise weren, Or for hem ðe toðere með beren? a 1300 Cursor M. 23343 Þe right-wis blith sal be Quen he sal wrak on sinful se. 1382 Wyclif Isa. i. 26 Aftir these thingus thou shalt ben clepid the cite of the riȝtwis. 1535 Coverdale Matt. ix. 13, I am not come to call the righteous, but y⊇ synners to repentaunce. 1611 Bible Ps. lxxii. 7 In his dayes shall the righteous flourish. 1641 Hinde J. Bruen xxxiv. 108 The life of the righteous findes never any worse end than the death of the righteous. 1738 Wesley Ps. iv. ii, Madly against the Righteous fight And follow after Lies. 1781 Cowper Truth 506 Th' atonement a Redeemer's love has wrought Is not for you—the righteous need it not. 1827 Pollok Course T. x, The righteous saved, the wicked damned, And God's eternal government approved. c 1850 Neale Hymns East. Ch. (1866) 107 When Thou..The righteous from the sinners shalt divide. |
† c. As
n. A righteous person.
Obs.| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. x. 41 And se þe under-fehþ riht-wisne on riht-wises naman he onfehþ riht-wises mede. a 1300 Cursor M. 12915 Als bedel gais be-for iustis, Als come þou be-for þat rightwis. 1382 Wyclif Isa. li. 5 Nyȝ is my riȝtwis, gon out is my saueour. 1435 Misyn Fire of Love 62 Truly god more displesis a ryghtwys prowd þen a synnar meyk. 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 697 Hee..whom thou beheldst The onely righteous in a World perverse. |
2. Of actions, etc.: Characterized by justice or uprightness; morally right or justifiable.
| α 971 Blickl. Hom. 73 Se Godes man sceal beon fulfremed on rihtwisum weorcum. a 1300 Cursor M. 10744 Quilk man þat his wand suld blome Suld maria haf wit rightwis dome. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxxiii. (George) 440 Quhethire þat it mare richtwis be til honoure god..þane appolline. 1444 Rolls of Parlt. V. 112/1 To delay the rightwys and true Suytes of suche Defendantz or Plaintiffs. 1523 [Coverdale] Old God (1534) K ij b, The Pope, whiche is your god.., what soeuer he doethe is ryghtwyse. 1549 Coverdale, etc. Erasm. Par. Rom. 25 Callyng man to rightwyse life he therin sheweth his bounteous mercy & goodnes. |
| β 1470–85 Malory Arthur x. xiv. 436 By mysauenture kynge Marke smote Amant thorugh the body, And yet was Amaunt in the ryghtuous quarel. a 1533 Frith Answ. More (1548) C vj b, Zuinglius..was slayne..in defendinge hys citye.., which cause was moost rightuous. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. i. 71 Strukne with a richtuous and true terrour. |
| γ a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI, 96 Edmond erle of Marche..made hys title and righteous clayme. 1590 Spenser F.Q. iii. xi. 9 What booteth then the good and righteous deed, If goodnesse find no grace? 1651 Hobbes Leviath. iii. xxxiv. 214 Instructing men in the way of righteous living. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 804 Faithful hath been your Warfare, and of God Accepted, fearless in his righteous Cause. 1727 De Foe Syst. Magic i. iv. (1840) 94 Nor would it have been righteous in Noah to have done so. 1789 Cowper Ann. Mem. 44 The symbol of a righteous reign Sat fast on George's brows again. 1808 Southey Lett. (1856) II. 86, I devoted a week to the corrections, weeding them with righteous relentlessness. 1853 Kingsley Hypatia xxvi, Her righteous wrath was too deep for upbraidings. |
3. U.S. slang. Fine, excellent; of good quality. Freq. in collocations (see
quots.),
esp. righteous moss [see
moss n.1 5 e], hair of good texture or characteristic of a white person.
Freq. in Black English in the
U.S.| 1942 Z. N. Hurston in Amer. Mercury July. 84 It [sc. his hair] looked just like that righteous moss, and had so many waves you got seasick from looking. 1944 C. Calloway Hepsters Dict., Righteous, splendid, okay. Ex., ‘That was a righteous queen I dug you with last black.’ 1944 D. Burley in A. Dundes Mother Wit (1973) 212 Righteous, pleasing to the senses, glorious, pretty, beautiful, mighty. 1945 L. Shelly Jive Talk Dict. 31/2 Righteous riff, interesting conversation. 1946 Mezzrow & Wolfe Really Blues (1957) 377 Righteous bush, marihuana. 1963 T. Pynchon V. x. 281 ‘She's up there’ Matilda said, with a smile for everybody, even musicians with a headful of righteous moss, who were making money and drove sports cars. 1967 [see lame n.2 2]. 1968–70 Current Slang (Univ. S. Dakota) III–IV. 103 Righteous egg, n. a good guy. 1970 C. Major Dict. Afro-Amer. Slang 97 Righteous Moss, white folks' hair. 1976 Daily Mirror 2 Apr. 20/2 Righteous, can mean same as dread; also good or excellent. |
† 4. a. Chiefly
Sc. Rightful, lawful, legitimate.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce ii. 159 He come to mak homage Till him as till his rychtwis king. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 28 Thai..dar nocht..say othir wayis, bot that he was rychtwis pape. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon i. 20 He is your ryght-wyse lorde. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. III. 141 Robert.., Quhilk in that tyme alledgit for to be The richteous air. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. ii. 131 His eftircumeris.., quha war rychteous Kingis of Scottis. |
† b. Sc. Rightfully belonging to one.
Obs. † 5. Right, genuine; correct, exact.
Obs. rare.
| 1543 Extr. Aberd. Reg. (1844) I. 187, vj barrallis of salmond, full reid and sueit, of the rychtus kynd of this toun. 1605 Verstegan Dec. Intell. 52 The truth-trying Logyk.., The righteous Geometrie. 1614 W. Barclay Nepenthes A iv b, Avarice and greedines of gaine haue moued the Marchants to apparell some European plants with Indian coats, and to enstall them in shops as righteous and legittime Tabacco. |
† 6. As
adv. Righteously; rightfully.
Obs.| a 1300 Cursor M. 28232 Þe lagh is þeron laid, Þat biddes al þat rightwys liue Til oþer alle þaire gilt for-giue. c 1420 Anturs of Arth. xxv, For him that ryȝtewis rest, and rose on the rode. c 1470 Henry Wallace vii. 374 And ye ar her..Als rychtwis born..As euir was I. |
† 7. Comb., as
righteous-maker,
righteous-making; also
righteous-doomous, right-judging.
Obs.| ? a 1400 in Sel. Wks. Wyclif (1871) III. 208 For soþly to þe riȝtwisdomous man it falliþ [etc.]. 1535 Coverdale Jer. xxiii. 6 This is the name that they shall call him: euen the Lorde oure rightuous maker. ― Baruch ii. 17 For the deed..ascribe vnto the Lorde nether prayse ner rightuous-makynge. 1553 Short Catech. 40 Fayth..doth..perceyue our righteousmakyng to be geuen vs of God freely. 1560 Becon Christian Kt. Wks. II. 149 In my self I am a sinner, but in Christ, my righteous maker, I am righteous. |
▪ II. † ˈrighteous, v. Obs. Forms: 1 (
ᵹe)reht-,
rihtw{iacu}sian, 4
rightwis(h)e,
-wyse, 6
ryghtous.
[f. rihtw{iacu}s righteous a.] trans. To set right; to justify; to do justice to; to make righteous.
| c 825 Vesp. Ps. xviii. 10 Domas godes [sind] soðe, ᵹereht⁓wisade in him seolfum. Ibid. lxxxi. 3 Heanne & ðearfan ᵹerehtwisiað. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke xvi. 15 Ᵹe synt þe eow sylfe beforan mannum ᵹerihtwisiaþ. a 1300 E.E. Psalter xviii. 10 Domes of lauerd soth er ai, And right⁓wished in þar-selfe er þai. Ibid. lxxxi. 3 Meke and poure rightwises swa. a 1340 Hampole Psalter lxi. 6 He calles me, he rightwises me and glorifies me. 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love i. viii. (Skeat) I. 35, I shal sustayne my ladyes wrathe which I have deserved, so longe as my Margarite hath rightwysed my cause. 1543 Bale Romish Fox 62 b, Canne we meryte grace with synne? or deserue to be ryght⁓oused by folye? |
Hence
ˈrighteousing vbl. n. rare.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxviii. 5 God gif rightid be my wayes: forto kepe þi rightwisyngis. 1865 Bushnell Vicar. Sacr. iii. vii. (1868) 432 They had their righteoussing in God. |