right

adjective

Save Word

\ ˈrīt

Definition of right

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : righteous, upright

2 : being in accordance with what is just, good, or proper right conduct

3 : conforming to facts or truth : correct the right answer

4 : suitable, appropriate the right man for the job

5 : straight a right line

6 : genuine, real

7a : of, relating to, situated on, or being the side of the body which is away from the side on which the heart is mostly located

b : located nearer to the right hand than to the left

c : located to the right of an observer facing the object specified or directed as the right arm would point when raised out to the side

d(1) : located on the right of an observer facing in the same direction as the object specified stage right

(2) : located on the right when facing downstream the right bank of a river

e : done with the right hand a right hook to the jaw

8 : having the axis perpendicular to the base right cone

9 : of, relating to, or constituting the principal or more prominent side of an object made sure the socks were right side out

10 : acting or judging in accordance with truth or fact time proved her right

11a : being in good physical or mental health or order not in his right mind

b : being in a correct or proper state put things right

12 : most favorable or desired : preferable also : socially acceptable knew all the right people

13 often capitalized : of, adhering to, or constituted by the Right especially in politics

right

noun

Definition of right (Entry 2 of 4)

1 : qualities (such as adherence to duty or obedience to lawful authority) that together constitute the ideal of moral propriety or merit moral approval

2 : something to which one has a just claim: such as

a : the power or privilege to which one is justly entitled voting rights his right to decide

b(1) : the interest that one has in a piece of property —often used in plural mineral rights

(2) rights plural : the property interest possessed under law or custom and agreement in an intangible thing especially of a literary and artistic nature film rights of the novel

3 : something that one may properly claim as due knowing the truth is her right

4 : the cause of truth or justice

5a : right hand sense 1a also : a blow struck with this hand gave him a hard right on the jaw

b : the location or direction of the right side woods on his right

c : the part on the right side

d : right field

e : a turn to the right take a right at the stop sign

6a : the true account or correct interpretation

b : the quality or state of being factually correct

7 often capitalized

a : the part of a legislative chamber located to the right of the presiding officer

b : the members of a continental European legislative body occupying the right as a result of holding more conservative political views than other members

8a often capitalized : individuals professing support of the established order and favoring traditional attitudes and practices and conservative governmental policies

b often capitalized : a conservative position

9a : a privilege given stockholders to subscribe pro rata to a new issue of securities generally below market price

b : the negotiable certificate evidencing such privilege —usually used in plural

by rights or less commonly by all rights

: with reason or justice : properly

in one's own right

: by virtue of one's own qualifications or properties

of right

1 : as an absolute right

2 : legally or morally exactable

to rights

: into proper order

right

adverb

Definition of right (Entry 3 of 4)

1 : according to right live right

2 : in the exact location, position, or moment : precisely right at his fingertips quit right then and there

3 : in a suitable, proper, or desired manner knew he wasn't doing it right

4 : in a direct line, course, or manner : directly, straight go right home came right out and said it

5 : according to fact or truth : truly guessed right

6a : all the way windows right to the floor

b : in a complete manner felt right at home

7 : without delay : immediately right after lunch

8 : to a great degree : very a right pleasant day

9 : on or to the right looked left and right

right

verb

righted; righting; rights

Definition of right (Entry 4 of 4)

transitive verb

1a : to do justice to : redress the injuries of so just is God to right the innocent— William Shakespeare

b : justify, vindicate felt the need to right himself in court

2 : avenge vows to right the injustice done to his family

3a : to adjust or restore to the proper state or condition right the economy

b : to bring or restore to an upright position right a capsized boat

intransitive verb

: to become upright

Other Words from right Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Phrases Containing right Learn More About right

Other Words from right

Adjective

rightness noun

Noun

rightmost \ ˈrīt-ˌmōst

\ adjective

Verb

righter noun

Choose the Right Synonym for right

Adjective

correct, accurate, exact, precise, nice, right mean conforming to fact, standard, or truth. correct usually implies freedom from fault or error. correct answers socially correct dress accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care. an accurate description exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth. exact measurements precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation. precise calibration nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination. makes nice distinctions right is close to correct but has a stronger positive emphasis on conformity to fact or truth rather than mere absence of error or fault. the right thing to do

Examples of right in a Sentence

Adjective You can't treat me like this! It's not right! You were right to tell the teacher about the girl who you saw cheating. Telling the teacher was the right thing to do. “Is that clock right? Is it noon already?” “Yes. That's right.” There's something not quite right about his story. Their theory was proved right. Let me get this right—you want me to lend you $1,000?! You're right; the answer is six. I bet you like baseball. Am I right? Am I right in thinking that he should have never loaned her the money? Noun We discussed the rights and wrongs of genetic cloning. women fighting for equal rights Knowing the truth is her right. Adverb The keys are right where I said they would be. “Where are my keys?” “They're right here.” The bank is right next to the pharmacy. The parking lot is right in front of the building. He left his bags right in the middle of the floor. She was waiting right outside the door. The ball hit me right in the face. We arrived right at noon. You are right on time. When the boss yelled at him, he quit right then and there. Verb It was time to right an old wrong. No one can right all the wrongs in the world. The government needs to do something to right the economy. They righted the capsized boat. He quickly righted himself after he fell off the chair. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective After needing three shots to get out of the fescue on the third hole on Friday, Rory McIlroy wanted nothing to do with the right side of the green on Sunday. — Jason Mastrodonato, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2022 He was thrown out at third on Mullins’ subsequent ground ball to the right side. — Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 19 June 2022 He was also charged with driving under suspension and driving on the right side of the roadway. — cleveland, 19 June 2022 The mastodon died at the ripe age of 34, when the tusk tip of another male mastodon punctured the right side of its skull. — Katie Hunt, CNN, 18 June 2022 After the 2000 flag raising ceremony, the date June 19, 1865 was added to the banner’s right side in white letters. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 18 June 2022 Kennedy slapped a single through the right side of the infield in the bottom of the fifth inning for his first career big league hit. — José M. Romero, The Arizona Republic, 17 June 2022 The best crime shows don't always have police on the right side of things. — Milan Polk, Men's Health, 17 June 2022 There's storage along the right side across from a couch that folds out to become the almost-full-size bed. — Sasha Richie, Car and Driver, 16 June 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Walters will deliver a masterclass on making the leap from stunt professional to director and cast members Greg Townley and Bobby Holland Hanton, highly regarded stunt professionals in their own right, also join the panel. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 June 2022 There is still a deep bench of colorful supporting characters played by great comic performers in their own right, with new ones being added. — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2022 With sumptuous interiors imagined by renowned designer Kelly Wearstler, this Santa Monica location of the beloved Proper brand is a destination in its own right. — Anna Haines, Forbes, 20 June 2022 Chris Taylor, who also hasn’t played much in right, started there Saturday night, with Gavin Lux in left. — Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2022 Lange then got Kole Calhoun to line to Reyes in right to end the inning. — Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 19 June 2022 Anthony Rizzo capped the Yankees’ eight-run fifth inning with a grand slam off the facing of the third deck in right, and New York extended its winning streak to eight with a 12-3 rout of the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night. — Ian Harrison, ajc, 18 June 2022 Biles joins a long list of legendary sports figures to appear on the classic orange Wheaties box, including Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan, who have both influenced and shifted culture in their own right. — Aley Arion, Essence, 18 June 2022 González smoked a leadoff homer out of the stadium, driving it through the trees above the high tier of seats in right, and Pederson hit his out to left off Zach Thompson to open the fourth. — Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 June 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb Amazon Zeus and his owners just moved into a new house right in time for Halloween. — Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 22 June 2022 This laundry room designed by April Tomlin Interiors is full of lessons, but perhaps the most important one is on display right in this little nook: Buy in bulk! — Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 22 June 2022 Getting right to the point, the Swiss franc is all over the world, while the Argentine peso isn’t. — John Tamny, Forbes, 19 June 2022 His shot carried the massive front bunker and landed 18 feet from the pin, right in the middle of the green. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 19 June 2022 Joel Johnson scored down the middle in the 75th minute to give the Athletic a 2-0 lead, and Tom Brewitt closed out the scoring from in close to the bottom right in the 80th minute after a corner kick. — Hartford Courant, 19 June 2022 Morel’s heroics capped the Cubs doing the little things right in the eighth. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2022 Heavyweight is one of our deepest divisions and his skill set fits right in. — Mma Junkie Staff, USA TODAY, 16 June 2022 The new album marks a new era for Wonho, having launched his solo career in August 2020 — right in the middle of a global pandemic. — Tim Chan, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Miguel Cabrera, who'd already singled in the first, followed by lacing a 107 mph single to right with two outs. — Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press, 17 June 2022 To be successful, your plan must articulate how your company will right its wrongs. — Expert Panel®, Forbes, 15 June 2022 In September 2020, the musicians willingly took a temporary 25 percent pay cut to help right the finances, and no full-time administrative staff were laid off. — New York Times, 10 June 2022 Casey Cerruto drove in Daniels with a single to right and scored the third run on a fielders’ choice. — Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 8 June 2022 Over the next decade or so, as Taylor languished in prison, Possley and I continued to report on the case, increasingly troubled that the system refused to right what seemed so clearly wrong. — Steve Mills, ProPublica, 30 May 2022 Andrés tries to right his mistake later but to no avail. — Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2022 Pham’s two-out RBI single to right against Trevor Stephan in the eighth made it 3-2. — Joe Noga, cleveland, 17 May 2022 Hawkeye showed that people also right musicals about Avengers and cosplay on the street. — Chris Smith, BGR, 9 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'right.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of right

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

History and Etymology for right

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English riht; akin to Old High German reht right, Latin rectus straight, right, regere to lead straight, direct, rule, rogare to ask, Greek oregein to stretch out

Noun

Middle English, from Old English riht, from riht, adjective

Learn More About right

From the Editors at Merriam-Webster

Dictionary Entries Near right

Righi-Leduc effect

right

right-about

Statistics for right

Last Updated

22 Jun 2022

Cite this Entry

“Right.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/right. Accessed 28 Jun. 2022.

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More Definitions for right

right

adjective

\ ˈrīt

Kids Definition of right

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : following or in accordance with what is just, good, or proper It's not right to lie.

2 : accurate, correct That's the right answer.

3 : suitable, appropriate He's the right person for the job.

4 : located on the side of the body away from the heart the right arm

5 : located nearer to the right side of the body than to the left the chair's right arm

6 : being or meant to be the side on top, in front, or on the outside The box landed right side up. Turn the socks right side out.

7 : in a normal or healthy state or condition I don't feel right today. That milk doesn't smell right.

8 : straight entry 1 sense 1 a right line

right

noun

Kids Definition of right (Entry 2 of 4)

1 : the ideal of what is just, good, or proper He hasn't learned right from wrong.

2 : something to which a person has a just claim the right to vote He has a right to be angry.

3 : the cause of truth or justice They fought for right.

4 : the right side : a part or location that is on or toward the right side My house is on the right.

right

adverb

Kids Definition of right (Entry 3 of 4)

1 : according to what is just, good, or proper She lives right.

2 : in the exact location, position, or moment : precisely It's right where you left it.

3 : in a direct line or course : straight Come right home.

4 : according to truth or fact You guessed right.

5 : in a suitable, proper, or desired way You're not doing it right.

6 : all the way We stayed right to the end of the game.

7 : without delay : immediately Let's go right after lunch.

8 : on or to the right turn right

9 : in a complete way He felt right at home here.

right away

: without delay : immediately The movie started playing right away.— R. J. Palacio, Wonder

right

verb

righted; righting

Kids Definition of right (Entry 4 of 4)

1 : to make better or more just If only we could right the world's wrongs.

2 : to adjust or restore to a proper state or condition

3 : to bring or bring back to an upright position I righted the books.

4 : to become upright The ship slowly righted again.

right

adjective

\ ˈrīt

Medical Definition of right

: of, relating to, or being the side of the body which is away from the heart and on which the hand is stronger in most people her right foot also : located nearer to this side than to the left

right

noun

\ ˈrīt \

Legal Definition of right

1a : qualities (as adherence to duty or obedience to lawful authority) that together constitute the ideal of moral propriety or merit moral approval

b : something that is morally just able to distinguish right from wrong

2 : something to which one has a just claim: as

a : a power, privilege, or condition of existence to which one has a natural claim of enjoyment or possession the right of liberty that all men…are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights — Declaration of Independence — see also natural right

b : a power, privilege, immunity, or capacity the enjoyment of which is secured to a person by law one's constitutional rights

c : a legally enforceable claim against another that the other will do or will not do a given act the defendant may be under a legal duty…to exercise reasonable care for the plaintiff's safety, so that the plaintiff has a corresponding legal right to insist on that care— W. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton

d : the interest that one has in property : a claim or title to property —often used in pl. leasing mineral rights — see also real right

e plural : the interest in property possessed (as under copyright law) in an intangible thing and especially an item of intellectual property obtained publishing rights

3 : a privilege given stockholders to subscribe pro rata to a new issue of securities generally below market price

of right

1 : as an absolute right

2 : demandable or enforceable under the law an appeal of right

Other Words from right

rightful \ -fəl

\ adjective

rightfully \ -fə-lē

\ adverb