Meaning

adjective characterized by or proceeding from accepted standards of morality or justice; - James 5:16

adjective morally justified

originFrom earlier rightuous, rightwose, rightwos, rightwise, from Middle English rightwise, rightwis, from Old English rihtwīs (“righteous, just”), corresponding to right + -wise (with assimilation of second element to -ous), or to right + wise (“way, manner”). Cognate with Scots richtwis (“righteous”), Old High German rehtwīsic (“righteous, just”), Icelandic réttvíss (“righteous, just”). Compare also…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0