right

adjective

\ 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

Groups of goal-setters can offer support and chat real-time — a great model for anyone who feels encouraged by interpersonal communication and camaraderie (er, everyone, right?!). — Good Housekeeping, "What Is Noom? Here's What a Nutritionist Really Thinks About the Trendy Weight-Loss App," 29 Jan. 2019 Far-right parties will still work to destabilize Europe. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "The 7 biggest foreign news stories to watch in 2019, from Brexit to North Korea," 24 Dec. 2018 Next on the countdown is a trio of stories about far-right conspiracy-theorist Alex Jones. — Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, "Talk amongst yourselves: 2018’s most-commented stories on Ars," 24 Dec. 2018 While Colorado teachers have the right to strike, the state officials could delay the walkout by up to 180 days. — Amanda Lee Myers, The Seattle Times, "Los Angeles teachers return to classes after reaching deal," 23 Jan. 2019 The system can break off and float southbound, right down to the United States. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "What Is a Polar Vortex? The Frigid Weather Pattern Explained," 16 Jan. 2019 The series continues right from Season 1's cliffhanger. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Everything You Need to Know About Killing Eve Season 2," 15 Jan. 2019 Oddly, Royole quotes both a 16Mpixel as well as a 20Mpixel camera, and there are two cameras right next to one another. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Victory, Royole: The FlexPai is the first folding phone we've seen," 10 Jan. 2019 The best spots are not necessarily right at downtown core. — Mosha Lundström Halbert, Vogue, "The Cool Girl’s Guide to Toronto," 27 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

He and two of his sisters attended the royal wedding; The photo below shows Kitty on the left and mom Victoria on the right. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Meet Louis Spencer, the Young, Hot, Eligible Nephew of Princess Diana," 6 Feb. 2019 Steering wheel controls are well thought out, with driver assist functions on the left, instrument panel and voice control on the right, and radio controls on the back. — Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, "Review: GMC Terrain gives you the ride you want—at a price," 23 Dec. 2018 And conspiracy theorists on the right have taken this skepticism a step further, insisting that the migrants must be being funded and organized by people who oppose Trump. — Liliana Frankel, Teen Vogue, "A Day in the Life of the Migrant Caravan," 16 Nov. 2018 The Supreme Court ruled that identifying who was in the NAACP would infringe on the right to privacy and free association. — Diana Budds, Curbed, "Facial recognition is becoming one of the 21st century’s biggest public space issues," 19 Oct. 2018 While Benghazi became a rallying cry for the right to use against Hillary Clinton, Fox News never reported that 20 similar incidents occurred under George Bush. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why It's Impossible to Be a Likeable Female Politician," 11 Jan. 2019 Acer’s other notable external feature is the Triton 900’s trackpad, which appears to the right of the keyboard. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Acer's swivel-display Predator Triton 900 will include Nvidia's mobile RTX graphics," 6 Jan. 2019 The top bar shows the date and time in the middle, status notifications, a power menu, settings for audio, power, and wireless to the right and an application launcher to the left. — Scott Gilbertson, Ars Technica, "A tour of elementary OS, perhaps the Linux world’s best hope for the mainstream," 28 Dec. 2018 According to Professor Stephen Ansolabehere, a professor of government at Harvard University, the House swayed back to the right in 2010. — Rachel Janfaza, Teen Vogue, "These 3 Midterms Elections Prove That Off-Year Elections Really Matter," 26 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

See the first one up top and the second down right here. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "See the First Photos of Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman in Harriet," 7 Feb. 2019 Despite Betty and Jughead’s best efforts to catch him up, Archie’s too busy having visions of killing Hiram Lodge to do much learning, and ends up storming out right in the middle of a test. — Emma Dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Riverdale Just Revealed Who The Real Gargoyle King Is," 24 Jan. 2019 Monday’s wait times had SFO right in the mix with airports that did have increased sick calls. — Scott Mccartney, WSJ, "What to Know About Airport Security During the Government Shutdown," 16 Jan. 2019 His face, too, has taken on a gauntness since the photo of his daughter’s wedding, mounted on the wall right in front of him, was taken back in 2009. — Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, "The Heroes of Science Who Are Unlocking the Brain," 3 Oct. 2018 The Republicans are an extremist far-right, radical party. — Steve Peoples, The Seattle Times, "Democrats lurch left on top policies as 2020 primary begins," 22 Jan. 2019 Haptic feedback adds a lot to the gaming experience when done right, in ways both large and small. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "Razer HyperSense's vision for haptic-filled PC gaming shakes up the future of peripherals," 10 Jan. 2019 Modern survey methods, like laser scanning, can produce incredibly detailed digital models of a site, right down to the subtleties of carvings or weathering on the surface of a stone block. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Archaeologists reconstruct pre-Columbian temple with 3D-printed blocks," 17 Dec. 2018 One of the first candidates the board approached was sitting in an office right down the hall. — Sam Walker, WSJ, "The Eisenhower Code: Happy to Serve, Reluctant to Lead," 7 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

And then there are even more fringe characters butting into the action, including cursed snake-woman Nagini (Claudia Kim) and French-African wizard Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam), who’s attempting to right an old family wrong. — Tasha Robinson, The Verge, "Even for the Harry Potter hardcore, Crimes of Grindelwald is one convoluted movie," 8 Nov. 2018 After Jake Lamb drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the first, Descalso turned on a 96-mph, 2-1 fastball from right-hander Luis Castillo, sending it out to right for his sixth homer of the year. — Nick Piecoro, azcentral, "Diamondbacks follow familiar script in win over Reds," 29 May 2018 From old merchandise clogging store inventory spaces, to retail shops that hire employees who know nothing about the instruments nor how to sell them, the longtime CEO has ideas on how the industry can right the ship. — Isaac Weeks, Billboard, "Gibson CEO Talks Challenges Facing Guitar Retail Industry: 'These Are Troubled Times'," 23 Feb. 2018 Morrison said nothing could be done to right the wrongs inflicted on children. — Trevor Marshallsea, Fox News, "PM formally apologizes to Australian child sex abuse victims," 22 Oct. 2018 John Deasy, followed by the relatively short stay of Ramon C. Cortines, who had come out of retirement to try to right the ship. — Howard Blume, latimes.com, "L.A. school board makes a bold, controversial choice in Beutner," 2 May 2018 There is a new generation of young voters coming in and an outstanding number of fearless women whose votes next month are going to help right the currently failing course of history this great nation is straying on. — Azadeh Valanejad, Glamour, "Sen. Lindsey Graham's Racist and Islamophobic Comment About Iran Re-Traumatized Me," 22 Oct. 2018 Bobby Hurley’s team will have to defend the interior to right the ship. — Dan Greene, SI.com, "For These 12 Teams, February's Results Are Crucial to NCAA Tournament Outlook," 29 Jan. 2018 The Pistons have only had one playoff appearance in the last nine seasons, but Gores believes Casey may be the person to right the ship. — George Stoia, Detroit Free Press, "Pistons introduce Dwane Casey as head coach: 'We have to win'," 20 June 2018

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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Dictionary Entries near right

Statistics for right

Last Updated

12 Feb 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for right

The first known use of right was before the 12th century

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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