rights 1 of 2

Definition of rightsnext
plural of right
1
as in privileges
something to which one has a just claim everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in claims
an entitlement to something what right do you have to tell us what to do?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rights

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of right

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of rights
Noun
But the jury in the federal civil lawsuit found that Moore violated Gillispie's rights by hiding evidence that would have helped Gillispie's defense and creating unfair lineup procedures for the victims. Laura A. Bischoff, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Jan. 2026 For nearly a year, migrant rights advocates and neighborhood activists across the Twin Cities have been preparing to mobilize in the event of an immigration enforcement surge. Tim Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026 Trade lawyers are urging importers that have paid duties over the course of the past year to file lawsuits with the CIT in hopes of preemptively securing their rights to tariff refunds. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 7 Jan. 2026 House panels have looked at AI issues, but House leaders have not moved forward on the bill-of-rights idea. Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026 Among the dead are four children and at least two members of Iran’s security forces, according to rights groups. Connor Greene, Time, 7 Jan. 2026 Saimar Rivas, Armas’s partner and a longtime civil-rights activist, told me that he had been taken to a clandestine site run by the SEBIN, Venezuela’s intelligence agency. Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026 The governor didn’t act on a bill that would give the Wabanaki Nations exclusive rights to operate internet gaming in the state. Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 7 Jan. 2026 Big Gas and Oil’s $450 million election crash didn’t buy attacks on just clean energy, but also on science, education, health care, immigrants, unions, first-amendment rights, Venezuelan sovereignty, and American democracy — all things New Yorkers care about. Anshul Gupta, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rights
Noun
  • People convicted of crimes now enter the state prison at level 2 and must wait at least eight months to move to level 4, which allows for the most privileges.
    Ashlynd Baecht, The Frontier, 6 Jan. 2026
  • In October, King Charles stripped his younger brother Prince Andrew of all royal titles and privileges, leaving him a commoner known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
    Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • That statement alone refutes claims that IHRA is meant to silence debate.
    David Moore, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026
  • All prize claims must be submitted within 180 days of the drawing date for draw games.
    Chris Sims, IndyStar, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The district judge declined her jurisdictional prerogatives, saying that the case was too serious to be settled in a magistrates’ court and must be heard by a Crown Court, which deals with the most severe criminal offenses.
    Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
  • That goal neatly aligns with the record industry’s shifting prerogatives.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • The nation was to be purged of continual sin not indeed all of its own doing—due partly to its inheritance; and yet a sin, a negation that gave the world the right to sneer at the pretensions of this republic.
    James Folta, Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
  • This action comedy is audacious in portraying the pretensions of show business.
    Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • This method improves sun exposure and airflow in steep terrain.
    Emily Price, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
  • But the impact won’t be meaningful unless the accuracy of the models improves.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Nothing betters the gift of time.
    Brie Stimson , Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Stay prepared for those just-in-case scenarios by stocking everything from itch creams and allergy meds to cold and headache remedies.
    Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • That design choice lowers costs and shortens deployment time.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
  • Not only do the chinstraps and Adelies have more competition for food from gentoos because of the warming and changes in plankton and krill, but the changes have brought more commercial fishing that comes earlier and that further shortens the supply for the penguins, Suttle said.
    Seth Borenstein, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rights. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.

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