How is the word right different from other adjectives like it?
Some common synonyms of right are accurate, correct, exact, nice, and precise. While all these words mean "conforming to fact, standard, or truth," 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
In what contexts can accurate take the place of right?
While in some cases nearly identical to right, accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care.
an accurate description
When is it sensible to use correct instead of right?
The synonyms correct and right are sometimes interchangeable, but correct usually implies freedom from fault or error.
correct answers
socially correct dress
When might exact be a better fit than right?
In some situations, the words exact and right are roughly equivalent. However, exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth.
exact measurements
When could nice be used to replace right?
While the synonyms nice and right are close in meaning, nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination.
makes nice distinctions
How are the words precise and exact related as synonyms of right?
Precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation.
precise calibration
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of right
Noun
According to the police department’s release, the primary factor in the crash seemed to be Smith failing to yield the right of way to the pedestrian.—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 9 June 2025 Navot and Diab draw a distinction between having formal citizenship rights, which Palestinians in Israel have, and being a citizen.—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Adjective
Steven Meyer, of the nonprofit organization Urban Rivers, said a Shedd Aquarium employee caught the first conclusive pictures of the season, which show a notch in the back right portion of the reptile’s shell.—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025 The largest technological barrier today, Doudna said, is not with CRISPR itself, but with the delivery of the CRISPR enzymes into the right molecules and tissues in the patient – or animal or plant, depending on the application.—Juergen Eckhardt, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Adverb
The right empowered leader will drive lasting business growth.—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025 Denzel Dumfries is the team’s defending right back, who became a surprise goal scorer this past season.—Alyssa Hardy, Vogue, 30 May 2025
Verb
The Oilers found themselves in a tight spot, losing the first two games of their series against the Los Angeles Kings, before righting the ship and winning four straight.—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025 Indeed, Pittsburgh righted the ship and went on to win the Stanley Cup both that season and the next.—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 3 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for right
But here the focus is on a Black family grappling both with the burdens and privileges of a father’s unique legacy and the difficulty of adapting to changing times and new frontiers of political struggle.
—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
Least privilege remains the goal, but detectability becomes a core requirement.
The lawsuit’s claim that retaliation from the Trump administration could be imminent for schools that do not comply with the administration’s demands is not entirely speculative.
—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
The importance of hairstyles did not disappear from American culture, but even some hairstyles became increasingly subject to claims of biological inevitability: white women grew long hair naturally, and white men grew full beards naturally.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by FBI agents last week, charged with obstruction of justice and concealing an individual to prevent an arrest.
—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
Matt Hunsaker, who was 10 years old when his mother was killed, said Friday that his family is overwhelmed with emotion to know that justice will finally be served.
Mosquitoes are a true scourge, responsible for up to one million human deaths per year.
—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Hoang said the online allegations — none of which were true — led to threats of violence against the university, and there was talk that some parents withdrew their children because of them.
In the Notify field, verify that your email address is correct.
—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
Within the workspace, one agentic AI can be used to remediate vulnerabilities in the code in Terraform and then route to another agent that will check the syntax to make sure that everything is correct.
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