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Right vs Righteousness - What's the difference?

right | righteousness |

As nouns the difference between right and righteousness

is that right is that which complies with justice, law or reason while righteousness is the quality or state of being righteous; holiness; purity; uprightness; rectitude. Righteousness, as used in Scripture and theology, in which it chiefly occurs, is nearly equivalent to holiness, comprehending holy principles and affections of heart, and conformity of life to the divine law.

As an adjective right

is straight, not bent.

As an adverb right

is on the right side.

As an interjection right

is yes, that is correct; I agree.

As a verb right

is to correct.

right

English

(re-split by etym)

Alternative forms

* (informal)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Adjective

(er)
  • (archaic) Straight, not bent.
    • a right line
  • Of an angle, having a size of 90 degrees, or one quarter of a complete rotation; the angle between two perpendicular lines.
    • The kitchen counter formed a right angle with the back wall.
  • Complying with justice, correctness or reason; correct, just, true.
    • I thought you'd made a mistake, but it seems you were right all along.
    It's not right that one person gets all the credit for the group's work.
  • * (John Locke)
    • If there be no prospect beyond the grave, the inference is right , "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die."
  • * Bishop Joseph Hall
    • there are some dispositions blame-worthy in men, which are yet, in a right sense, holily ascribed unto God; as unchangeableness, and irrepentance.
  • Appropriate, perfectly suitable; fit for purpose.
    • Is this the right software for my computer?
  • Healthy, sane, competent.
    • I'm afraid my father is no longer in his right mind.
  • Real; veritable.
    • You've made a right mess of the kitchen!
  • * Milton
    • In this battle, the Britons never more plainly manifested themselves to be right barbarians.
  • (Australia) All right; not requiring assistance.
  • * 1986 David Williamson, "What If You Died Tomorrow," Collected plays , Volume 1, Currency Press, p310
    • KIRSTY: I suppose you're hungry. Would you like something to eat? / KEN: No. I'm right , thanks.
  • * 2001 Catherine Menagé, Access to English, National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research, NSW: Sydney, p25
    • When the sales assistant sees the customer, she asks Are you right , sir?'' This means ''Are you all right? She wants to know if he needs any help.
  • * 2001 Morris Gleitzman, Two weeks with the Queen, Pan Macmillan Australia, p75
    • 'You lost?' / Colin spun round. Looking at him was a nurse, her eyebrows raised. / 'No, I'm right , thanks,' said Colin.'
  • (dated) Most favourable or convenient; fortunate.
  • * Spectator
    • The lady has been disappointed on the right side.
  • Designating the side of the body which is positioned to the east if one is facing north. This arrow points to the right: ?
    • After the accident, her right leg was slighly shorter than her left.
  • Designed to be placed or worn outward.
    • the right side of a piece of cloth
  • (politics) Pertaining to the political right; conservative.
    • Synonyms
    * (correctness) correct, just * dexter, dextral, right-hand * (politics) conservative, right-wing * (as a tag question) see
    Antonyms
    * (straightness) bowed, crooked, curved * (correctness) wrong * left
    Derived terms
    * a broken clock is right twice a day * alright, all right * do right by * in one's right mind * it's all right * right angle * right as a trivet * right as rain * right away * rightdom * righteous * right hand * right handed, right-handed * right-hand man * righthood * rightly * right-minded * rightness * right off * right off the bat * right of way * Right Reverend * right triangle * she'll be right

    Adverb

    (-)
  • On the right side.
  • Towards the right side.

    • Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • Yes, that is correct; I agree.
  • I agree with whatever you say; I have no opinion.
  • (non-gloss definition).
    • - After that interview, I don't think we should hire her.
    - Right — who wants lunch?
  • (Used to check agreement at the end of an utterance).
    • You're going, right ?
  • * 1987 , :
    • Withnail: Right ... I'm gonna do the washing up.
    Derived terms
    * yeah right

    Noun

    (wikipedia right) (en noun)
  • That which complies with justice, law or reason.
  • A legal or moral entitlement.
  • * (Samuel Taylor Coleridge) (1772-1834)
    • There are no rights whatever, without corresponding duties.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Michael Arlen), title= “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days, chapter=3/19/2
    • , passage=Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with the house?; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something?; one generally, however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall.}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-10, volume=408, issue=8848, magazine=(The Economist), author=Schumpeter
    • , title= Cronies and capitols , passage=Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector.}}
  • The right side or direction.
  • (politics) The ensemble of right-wing political parties; political conservatives as a group.
  • The outward or most finished surface, as of a piece of cloth, a carpet, etc.
    • Synonyms
    * (right side) starboard,
    Antonyms
    * (legal or moral entitlement) duty, obligation
    Derived terms
    * bragging rights * human rights * Miranda rights * rightful * right of first refusal * shop right * to the right * two wrongs don't make a right * two wrongs make a right

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) , from riht, from the same ultimate source as Etymology 1, above.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To correct.
    • Righting all the wrongs of the war will be impossible.
  • To set upright.
    • The tow-truck righted what was left of the automobile.
  • To return to normal upright position.
    • When the wind died down, the ship righted .
  • To do justice to; to relieve from wrong; to restore rights to; to assert or regain the rights of.
    • to right the oppressed
  • * Shakespeare
    • So just is God, to right the innocent.
  • * Jefferson
    • All experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
    Derived terms
    * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l)

    Adverb

    (-)
  • Exactly, precisely.
  • *
    • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage=Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand. We spent consider'ble money getting 'em reset, and then a swordfish got into the pound and tore the nets all to slathers, right in the middle of the squiteague season.}}
  • Very, extremely, quite.
  • *
  • * '>citation
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • * (rfdate) Ann Hite, Ghost on Black Mountain ,
    • The fog was right hard to see through so I was on Tom Pritchard before I saw him.
  • According to fact or truth; actually; truly; really.
  • In a correct manner.
  • To a great extent or degree.
  • *, chapter=13
    • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=He b'iled right over, and the tongue-lashing he give that boss Right Liver beat anything I ever listened to. There was heap of Scriptur' language in it, and more brimstone than you'd find in a match factory.}}
    Usage notes
    In the US, the word "right" is used as an adverb meaning "very, quite" in most of the major dialect areas, including the Southern US, Appalachia, New England and the Midwest, though the usage is not part of standard US English.
    Quotations
    * (English Citations of "right")
    Synonyms
    * exactly, just, precisely, smack dab
    Derived terms
    * right smart
    Related terms
    * downright * upright

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * * 200 English basic words English abstract nouns English terms with multiple etymologies 1000 English basic words

    righteousness

    English

    Noun

  • (uncountable) The quality or state of being righteous; holiness; purity; uprightness; rectitude. Righteousness, as used in Scripture and theology, in which it chiefly occurs, is nearly equivalent to holiness, comprehending holy principles and affections of heart, and conformity of life to the divine law.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers)
    • , chapter=4, title= A Cuckoo in the Nest , passage=By some paradoxical evolution rancour and intolerance have been established in the vanguard of primitive Christianity. Mrs. Spoker, in common with many of the stricter disciples of righteousness , was as inclement in demeanour as she was cadaverous in aspect.}}
  • (countable) A righteous act, or righteous quality.
  • * (w) lxiv. 6.
    • All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.
  • The act or conduct of one who is righteous.
  • * (Psalms) cvi. 3.
    • Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth rightness at all times.
  • (theology) The state of being right with God; justification; the work of Christ, which is the ground justification.
  • * 1594-7 , (Richard Hooker), '', A Discourse, Section 21
    • There are two kinds of Christian righteousness : the one without us, which we have by imputation; the other in us, which consisteth of faith, hope, and charity, and other Christian virtues.
  • * 1646-7 , (Westminster Shorter Catechism) , Q.33
    • Only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

    Synonyms

    * rectitude, uprightness, holiness, godliness, equity, justice, rightfulness, integrity, honesty, faithfulness