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Preposition after adjective

Righteous in, by, before, of or for?

Righteous is most often used without a following preposition or with in to describe behaviour or action. Other prepositions usually belong to a larger phrase rather than forming a fixed combination.

Quick answer

Righteous in is the clearest adjective pattern

Use righteous in to describe the area or action in which someone behaves morally. Righteous by, righteous before, righteous of, and righteous for are not common fixed combinations in modern English.

She was righteous in her dealings with clients.
He remained righteous in difficult circumstances.
The judge tried to be righteous in every decision.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
righteous in + action or behaviour

Describing moral behaviour in a situation

Use righteous in to specify the area where someone acts morally or justly.

They were righteous in their treatment of workers.
She stayed righteous in public office.
2
righteous before + noun

Religious or formal context

Righteous before appears mainly in religious or literary language meaning morally acceptable in someone's sight.

He was considered righteous before God.
They hoped to remain righteous before the law.
3
righteous for + cause

Contextual use with purpose or support

Righteous for is not a fixed adjective pattern, but it may appear when for introduces a separate purpose or beneficiary phrase.

They fought for what they believed was righteous for the community.
The campaign seemed righteous for environmental reform.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
righteous in
She was righteous in her judgments.
Standard pattern describing moral behaviour in a specific area.
righteous by
They lived by righteous principles.
By belongs to the noun principles, not directly to righteous.
righteous before
He wished to appear righteous before God.
Formal or religious expression about moral standing.
righteous of
That was righteous of him.
Nonstandard in modern English; use righteous behaviour or morally right instead.
righteous for
They argued for a righteous cause.
For usually connects to a noun such as cause rather than directly to righteous.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using righteous of in everyday English

Righteous of is not a natural modern pattern.

✕ It was righteous of her to help. ✓ It was morally right of her to help.

Assuming every following preposition forms a fixed combination

Sometimes the preposition belongs to another phrase in the sentence.

✕ They stood righteous by tradition. ✓ They stood by tradition and tried to act righteously.

Overusing righteous in casual contexts

Righteous can sound formal, religious, or strongly moral.

✕ The restaurant has righteous coffee. ✓ The restaurant has excellent coffee.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She was righteous ___ her business practices.
2. He wanted to appear righteous ___ God.
3. Which sentence sounds most natural in modern English?

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Frequently asked questions

Is righteous a common everyday adjective?

It is fairly formal and often connected with morality, religion, or strong ethical judgement.

Can I say righteous of someone?

That pattern is not standard in current English. Use morally right of someone instead.

What does righteous in mean?

It means morally correct in a particular action, role, or situation.

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