What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Sanctimonious vs Righteous - What's the difference?

sanctimonious | righteous |

As adjectives the difference between sanctimonious and righteous

is that sanctimonious is making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically pious while righteous is free from sin or guilt.

As a verb righteous is

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

sanctimonious

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically pious.
  • (archaic) Holy, devout.

    • Derived terms

    * sanctimoniously * sanctimoniousness * sanctimony

    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.