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Righteous vs Overrighteous - What's the difference?

righteous | overrighteous |

As adjectives the difference between righteous and overrighteous

is that righteous is free from sin or guilt while overrighteous is excessively righteous, perhaps hypocritically so.

As a verb righteous

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

righteous

English

Alternative forms

* (l), (l)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • free from sin or guilt
  • moral and virtuous, suggesting sanctimonious
  • justified morally
  • (slang, US) awesome

    • Derived terms

    * righteousness * self-righteous

    Verb

    (es)
  • To make righteous; specifically, to justify religiously, to absolve from sin.
  • * 2009 , (Diarmaid MacCulloch), A History of Christianity , Penguin 2010, p. 101:
    • Thus for the purposes of being ‘righteoused ’, the Law was irrelevant; yet Paul could not bear to see all the Law disappear.

    overrighteous

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Excessively righteous, perhaps hypocritically so.
    • (Webster 1913)