Illustration of right whale
right whale
noun
: any of several large baleen whales (family Balaenidae and especially genus Eubalaena) that lack a dorsal fin and have very long baleen plates, an extremely large head with a V-shaped blowhole, a smooth throat, short, broad, rounded flippers, and whitish protuberances of thickened skin about the head
Examples of right whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There are estimated to be just 384 right whales left in the world.
—
Neal Riley, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
The North Atlantic right whale is one of the rarest whale species in the world, according to the New England Aquarium.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
In addition to the Aquarium sightings south of Nantucket, the Center for Coastal Studies has also spotted right whales in Cape Cod Bay over the last month.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
North Atlantic right whales were hunted to the brink of extinction during the era of commercial whaling and have been federally protected for decades.
—Patrick Whittle, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for right whale
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Neal Riley, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
The North Atlantic right whale is one of the rarest whale species in the world, according to the New England Aquarium.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
In addition to the Aquarium sightings south of Nantucket, the Center for Coastal Studies has also spotted right whales in Cape Cod Bay over the last month.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
North Atlantic right whales were hunted to the brink of extinction during the era of commercial whaling and have been federally protected for decades.
—Patrick Whittle, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for right whale
Cite this Entry
“Right whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/right%20whale. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
