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

Marysia’s ready-to-wear assortment continues to grow, and after being in business for 10 years, Dobrzanska Reeves felt the timing was right for a brick-and-mortar presence. — Anny Choi, Vogue, "Marysia’s New Soho Store Tides Us Over Until Summer Arrives," 5 Apr. 2019 For me, the best possible deal wasn’t the most money, right? — Ronald Blum, The Seattle Times, "AP study: MLB average salary on track for 2nd straight drop," 26 Mar. 2019 After a few days, a rash of blisters bubbles up, typically on the left or right side of the abdomen, but occasionally around one eye or one small portion of the neck or face. — Korin Miller, SELF, "9 Questions That Will Help You Decode That Skin Rash," 22 Mar. 2019 That's right, folks, Jenner didn't wear a drop of makeup for the photo or use a filter, and looks utterly fabulous. — Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, "Kris Jenner Shared a Rare No-Makeup Selfie, and Fans Are Loving Her Barefaced Look," 21 Mar. 2019 Yep, that's right, co-stars Kellie Pickler and Wes Brown will pick up where the beloved Christmas at Graceland left off for a brand-new sequel this summer. — Blair Donovan, Country Living, "Kellie Pickler's Super Popular 'Christmas at Graceland' Movie Is Getting a Sequel," 17 Mar. 2019 For modern spaces, an antique piece has to be showcased in the right way. — Monique Valeris, ELLE Decor, "John Derian's Decorating Secrets for the Chicest Home Ever," 13 Feb. 2019 In Razer’s example, your keyboard’s rest wrist could vibrate to simulate movement on your left, while your mouse could rumble to simulate right-side movement and the kickback of a gun. — Brad Chacos, PCWorld, "6 important CES 2019 reveals and trends that PC enthusiasts need to know about," 11 Jan. 2019 The case only has minute numbers etched on the circumference of the display and two physical buttons on its right side; one opens the app drawer, while the other opens the workouts menu. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "Huawei Watch GT review: When hardware and software don’t mesh," 16 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The Supreme Court on Thursday denied a bid from gun-rights advocates to temporarily halt the Trump administration’s ban on rapid-fire bump stock devices like the ones used in the 2017 Las Vegas massacre. — Zusha Elinson, WSJ, "Supreme Court Denies Attempt to Stop Bump-Stock Ban," 28 Mar. 2019 Disability rights advocates had criticized the city and the companies for not doing enough during the 2018 trial period to penalize users who rode on sidewalks. — Andrew Theen, The Seattle Times, "E-scooters may return April 26, Portland says, with new rules to curb sidewalk riding," 25 Mar. 2019 One hundred and twenty six years ago women did not have the right to vote in New Zealand. — Zac Fleming, Harper's BAZAAR, "New Zealand Banned Guns After Thoughts and Prayers. Why Can’t America?," 23 Mar. 2019 Prisoner rights advocates say that the technology might have some benefits—at times, prisoners are bullied into giving up their phone minutes to another inmate, and voice recognition could detect the fraud. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Prisons Are Building Giant Biometric Databases of Prisoners' Voices," 1 Feb. 2019 Reports are already showing who bears the cost, including Uyghurs, women’s rights advocates, and students. — Adi Robertson, The Verge, "Google employees push to cancel Chinese search engine in new letter," 27 Nov. 2018 And after the Lion Air crash, the Indonesian authorities ordered inspections of all 737 Max 8 jets flying in the country—something that other governments have the right to do anytime, depending on what emerges from the accident probe. — Barbara Peterson, Condé Nast Traveler, "The FAA, Boeing Issue Alerts for 737 Max 8 Planes After Lion Air Crash," 9 Nov. 2018 Great Day: The new guy at the supply yard got the order right for a change. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "How to Become a Skilled Tradesperson," 13 Mar. 2019 According to Yeo, there really is no right or wrong way to use greige in an interior. — Monique Valeris, ELLE Decor, "A Color Expert Reveals the Power of Greige Paint," 27 Feb. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

The alleged new doc premieres right after this year’s first Coachella weekend, which is scheduled April 12 to 14. — Natasha Reda, Glamour, "It Sure Looks Like Netflix Just Announced a Beyoncé Special," 8 Apr. 2019 The second photo in his post, when scrolled right, depicts a curly-haired baby Jack, with his smiling pop. — Kaitlin Menza, Woman's Day, "Luke Perry's Children Posted Tributes to Their Dad on Instagram," 6 Mar. 2019 Although the two have been married for five years now, Donnie definitely still knows how to treat her right. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "Donnie Wahlberg Planned the Most Outrageous Date for His Wife Jenny McCarthy," 23 Mar. 2019 Believe or not, its almost the end of March which means proms, spring formals, and outdoor parties are right around the corner. — Alyssa Hardy, Teen Vogue, "Kylie Jenner, Salem Mitchell, and Katie Stevens Take on The Ruched Dress Trend," 21 Mar. 2019 The cat, in gold and onyx, was perched right above the enormous stone. — Stellene Volandes, Town & Country, "How the Cartier Panther Became a Jewelry Icon," 20 Mar. 2019 Because of this, Westeros faces the constant threat of a coup, whether plotted by the problematic but fine as hell Dothraki Khal Drogo in the east or right within the walls of King's Landing by a overzealous religious cult. — Ineye Komonibo, Marie Claire, "HBO Scattered "Iron Thrones" All Over the World for You to Find," 20 Mar. 2019 Self-driving technology seemed to be right around the corner. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "The hype around driverless cars came crashing down in 2018," 30 Dec. 2018 Posts moved from right to left instead of up from the bottom of the phone screen. — Kurt Wagner, Recode, "Instagram got rid of the scrolling feed for some users and people freaked out," 27 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The awful things that had gone wrong in their families could be righted, fixed, altered with a basketball, a football, a baseball. — David M. Shribman, WSJ, "‘Tigerland’ Review: Playing the Game Their Way," 18 Jan. 2019 Shoots right him into the water and onto a nearby boat. — Fox News, "Scaramucci, Kirk sound off on Brennan, Cuomo," 18 Aug. 2018 Will the defending World Cup champions follow Brazil's lead in righting the ship after a rough start, or will Germany succumb to pressure and join Argentina in needing help? — Editors, USA TODAY, "Saudi women drivers, Tennessee Pride, World Cup and 5 things to know this weekend," 23 June 2018 An influx of high-energy particles into the skewed field lines then releases the build-up of magnetic pressure, thereby righting the skew. — Jill Kiedaisch, Popular Mechanics, "When the Sun’s Magnetic Field Squashes the Earth’s Magnetic Field, Beautiful Things Happen," 14 Feb. 2019 Saudi Arabia hopes to right the ship against Uruguay after a 5-0 loss to Russia, at 11 a.m. on Fox. — Andrew R. Chow, New York Times, "What’s on TV Wednesday: ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘Brockmire’," 20 June 2018 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

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

9 Apr 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