tell right from wrong
idiom
: to know what things are good and what things are bad
He is old enough to tell right from wrong.
Examples of tell right from wrong in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lies cannot cover truth and people can tell right from wrong.
—
Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
His lawyers argue he should be acquitted because his mental illness prevented him from being able to tell right from wrong.
—Colleen Slevin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024
Some argue that our ability to tell right from wrong, or to perceive ourselves, sets us apart—but not all humans can do these things, and some animals seem to do them better.
—Elizabeth Barber, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2023
The result: Two generations of students cannot tell right from wrong, good from evil, justice from terror.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 13 Oct. 2023
In turn, this can further impact Wanda’s ability to tell right from wrong and real from imaginary.
—Chris Smith, BGR, 9 Oct. 2022
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.
Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
His lawyers argue he should be acquitted because his mental illness prevented him from being able to tell right from wrong.
—Colleen Slevin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024
Some argue that our ability to tell right from wrong, or to perceive ourselves, sets us apart—but not all humans can do these things, and some animals seem to do them better.
—Elizabeth Barber, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2023
The result: Two generations of students cannot tell right from wrong, good from evil, justice from terror.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 13 Oct. 2023
In turn, this can further impact Wanda’s ability to tell right from wrong and real from imaginary.
—Chris Smith, BGR, 9 Oct. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Tell right from wrong.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tell%20right%20from%20wrong. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share