selfrighteously

Selfrighteously is an adverb describing an action carried out with a sense of moral superiority or self-satisfaction about one’s virtue. It is formed from the adjective self-righteous, with the adverbial suffix -ly, and may appear as self-righteously or self-righteous-ly in some spellings. The term signals a judgmental or lecturing tone that presents one’s own stance as unquestionably virtuous while implying others are deficient.

Usage and connotation: Selfrighteously is typically employed in critique, satire, or opinion writing to describe tone rather than a factual claim about virtue. It is common in discussions of politics, religion, or social issues when a speaker is perceived to moralize rather than engage in constructive dialogue. The word carries a strong negative or pejorative nuance in most contexts.

Examples: She spoke selfrighteously about recycling. The editorial took a selfrighteously moralizing stance on the issue. These examples illustrate how the term is used to critique the manner of moralizing rather than the content of the position itself.

Etymology and related terms: Self-righteous is the base adjective; related forms include self-righteousness (noun) and phrases such as holier-than-thou or moralizing. Selfrighteously can be contrasted with more neutral descriptors like sincerely, modestly, or humbly, which are not inherently judgmental.

See also: self-righteous, self-righteousness, holier-than-thou, moralizing.