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 Learn More about right

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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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The right thing to do for employees who have endured the pain of more work with less compensation is to offer them a retention package when the business is comfortable with its future outlook. — Expert Panel®, Forbes, "15 Thoughtful Ways To Show Your Employees Appreciation For Their Support," 9 Apr. 2021 Republicans in the Michigan Legislature have blasted Whitmer and the state for COVID-19 orders, arguing the governor needs to trust residents to do the right thing. — Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, "Whitmer asks for 2-week pause of Michigan youth sports, indoor dining, in-person learning," 9 Apr. 2021 Little Rock counters with right-handers Hayden Arnold (3-3, 4.30) on Friday and Aaron Funk (0-3, 5.58) on Saturday. — Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, "Red-hot, rested South Alabama baseball heads to Little Rock," 9 Apr. 2021 Before opting out for the final month of his senior season, Jenkins started seven games (one at left tackle and six at right tackle) and earned first-team all-conference honors. — Tribune Content Agency Staff, chicagotribune.com, "NFL draft profile: Teven Jenkins of Oklahoma State," 9 Apr. 2021 Biden has been under pressure to add seats to the bench to compensate for a right-ward political shift after former President Donald Trump appointed three nominees. — Sarah Kolinovsky, ABC News, "Biden appoints commission to study adding seats, term limits for Supreme Court," 9 Apr. 2021 Trump’s orbit like former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Ken Cuccinelli, the hard-right former Virginia attorney general and Trump immigration official. — BostonGlobe.com, "‘Do you have to go a little crazy to stop the ones that are crazier?’ Virginia’s governor’s race is a window into the GOP’s turmoil," 9 Apr. 2021 Former President Donald Trump was right to ask Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the Bidens’ ties to Burisma in July 2019, Graham has also said. — Mike Brest, Washington Examiner, "Hunter Biden calls Lindsey Graham's treatment of him 'sad'," 9 Apr. 2021 In Bangkok, a young blind woman undergoes a cutting-edge operation that restores sight to her right eye. — Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, "Movies on TV this week ‘Pulp Fiction’ on BBC America and IFC," 9 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun After a sympathetic judge limited the county’s restrictions in early December, the 2nd District Court of Appeal on March 1 upheld the county’s right to implement the closures in the name of public health. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, "Tinhorn Flats owners repeatedly defy restaurant closure: ‘We will never back down’," 9 Apr. 2021 Matthews’ leadoff home run to right in the bottom of the fifth broke the scoreless tie. — oregonlive, "Oregon outmaneuvers Oregon State in 4-1 old-school baseball win," 9 Apr. 2021 This is why, in some instances, business owners might instead choose to work with a collection agency right from the beginning. — Brian Summerfelt, Forbes, "Collecting Business Debt: Six Best Practices When Working With A Collections Agency," 9 Apr. 2021 Michelle Pfieffer’s 100% transparent fragrance line, Henry Rose, is a prime example of sustainable perfumery done right. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Spring’s Best Fragrances Are Big on Personality," 8 Apr. 2021 According to the Tax Foundation, a right-leaning think tank, the Trump administration’s corporate tax reduction lowered the U.S. rate from the highest among the OECD countries to the 13th highest. — Christopher Rugaber, The Christian Science Monitor, "Why Yellen is pushing a global corporate minimum income tax," 6 Apr. 2021 Lott’s research has come under fire from other researchers, including a 2017 Standford study that found violent crime was higher in right-to-carry firearms states. — Karina Andrew, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Utah gun sales broke all records in 2020. Here’s why.," 5 Apr. 2021 On Sunday, Arraez ignited the Twins' 8-2 victory over Milwaukee by going 3-for-3 with two walks, a performance that included a single toleft, a single to center and a double to right. — Star Tribune, "Luis Arraez has been learning from the best, and it shows," 4 Apr. 2021 Sources voiced concerns amid the steady drip of seedy allegations surfacing while repeatedly emphasizing Gaetz’s right to due process. — Katherine Doyle, Washington Examiner, "'Vultures are circling' a defiant Matt Gaetz as supporters discuss possible special election," 3 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb The move freed sophomore Tyrique Lewis to focus on his best event, the 400-meter dash, which is contested right after the 4x100. — Buddy Collings, orlandosentinel.com, "Seminole High speed stole show in SAC track," 9 Apr. 2021 Though universal access for California adults is right around the corner, a number of communities have moved to open up appointments even quicker. — Luke Money, Los Angeles Times, "Long Beach opens COVID-19 vaccine access to residents 16 and older," 8 Apr. 2021 The organization is right around capacity, but Ballard has a hard time turning down any child who wants to participate. — Emmett Hall, sun-sentinel.com, "Pompano Xpress Track and Field club returns to competition," 8 Apr. 2021 The murals were smashed to bits and deeply buried—right around the conquest of Tikal in 378 C.E., hinting at a sudden shift from diplomacy to violence. — Lizzie Wade, Science | AAAS, "Possible ‘embassy’ in ancient Maya city illuminates the birth of an empire," 8 Apr. 2021 They're made from a soft blend of polyester and spandex, and the hemline hits right around the mid-thigh area. — Eden Lichterman, PEOPLE.com, "You Can Score 3 Pairs of These Best-Selling Yoga Shorts for Only $23 Right Now," 7 Apr. 2021 In 2020, there were almost 7 billion mobile users worldwide using their phones regularly, with anywhere from 46% to 61% checking their phones right after waking up. — Bhavesh Talreja, Forbes, "What It Takes To Become A Mobile-First Company In 2021," 7 Apr. 2021 With high school right around the corner, Darius is beyond excited for what the future holds. — Sydney N. Walton, CNN, "Teen helps adoptable dogs stand out with handmade bow ties," 3 Apr. 2021 Dozier's retirement came right around the time Kevin Mather, who was then the president of the Seattle Mariners, complained at a Rotary Club meeting that some of his team's foreign players didn't speak better English. — Barry Svrluga Washington Post, Star Tribune, "Brian Dozier learned Spanish to be a better teammate. There's a lesson for MLB," 2 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Additionally, Peacock released the official trailer for the show, which shows the Girls5Eva band trying to right the wrongs of their musical past by changing the message of their music, staying far away from their creepy old manager, and much more. — Samantha Highfill, EW.com, "Watch a '90s one-hit-wonder girl group get back together in Girls5Eva trailer," 6 Apr. 2021 The future of the case will depend, in part, on whether a federal court views Marcus as a whistleblower trying to right a wrong, or a corporate lawyer violating his duty to his former employer. — Dallas News, "Ex-AT&T lawyer accuses company of overcharging needy schools and libraries for internet service," 18 Mar. 2021 The future of the case will depend, in part, on whether a federal court views Marcus as a whistleblower trying to right a wrong, or a corporate lawyer violating his duty to his former employer. — Washington Post, "‘There has to be an accounting’: Former AT&T lawyer says company systemically overcharged neediest schools," 12 Mar. 2021 Thankfully, the Cavaliers have the entirety of their second half to right their wrong in not starting Allen immediately over Drummond. — Evan Dammarell, Forbes, "Evaluating The First Half Of The Cleveland Cavaliers Schedule," 3 Mar. 2021 The truth is that Biden’s generation of politicians passed the buck on taking sufficient climate actions and now, in its last chapter, is trying to right that wrong. — Nick Martin, The New Republic, "Teenagers Deserve a Place at Biden’s Climate Table," 17 Feb. 2021 Twenty years later, Timberlake is trying to right his wrongs — with an Instagram apology. — Ineye Komonibo, refinery29.com, "20 Years Later, Justin Timberlake Has An Apology For Britney Spears & Janet Jackson," 13 Feb. 2021 Nick Sloane, a South African salvage master who led the operation to right the Costa Concordia, the cruise ship that capsized in 2012 off the coast of Italy. — BostonGlobe.com, "At the Suez, hoping a rising tide will lift a boat four football fields long," 27 Mar. 2021 Nick Sloane, a South African salvage master who led the operation to right the Costa Concordia, the cruise ship that capsized in 2012 off the coast of Italy. — New York Times, "‘A Very Big Problem.’ Giant Ship in the Suez Remains Stuck.," 27 Mar. 2021

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

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More Definitions for right

right

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of right

(Entry 1 of 4)

: morally or socially correct or acceptable

: agreeing with the facts or truth : accurate or correct

: speaking, acting, or judging in a way that agrees with the facts or truth

right

noun

English Language Learners Definition of right (Entry 2 of 4)

: behavior that is morally good or correct

: something that a person is or should be morally or legally allowed to have, get, or do

: the legal authority to reproduce, publish, broadcast, or sell something

right

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of right (Entry 3 of 4)

: in the exact location, position, or moment that is mentioned

: in a direct course or manner

: in a way that agrees with the facts or truth

right

verb

English Language Learners Definition of right (Entry 4 of 4)

: to make (something) right : to correct (something wrong or unjust)

: to return (something) to a proper state or condition

: to put (something or someone) back in an upright position

See the full definition for right in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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

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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

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