as in deserved
being what is called for by accepted standards of right and wrong
in light of her admission of having lied, the only rightful course of action for the governor would be to resign
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Recent Examples of rightful
As someone who’s long had such a complex relationship with visibility, Gooding often wondered about his rightful place in Hollywood.
—
Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 3 Mar. 2026
But a legal maneuver finally gave them back their rightful name last year.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
Too conveniently, Mary is pushed off-stage with a sudden terminal illness, which enables Becket to take his rightful place in the narrative.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
So far, this sounds like an archetypal heroic tale—the protagonist denied his rightful place and forced to undertake impossible tasks to win it back.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rightful
Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 3 Mar. 2026
But a legal maneuver finally gave them back their rightful name last year.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
Too conveniently, Mary is pushed off-stage with a sudden terminal illness, which enables Becket to take his rightful place in the narrative.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
So far, this sounds like an archetypal heroic tale—the protagonist denied his rightful place and forced to undertake impossible tasks to win it back.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rightful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rightful
Adjective
-
Because of them, this guy will serve a much deserved and lengthy sentence in state prison.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The youthful line-up paid off with a deserved 2-1 victory.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Once an investigation is complete, findings are typically forwarded to a district attorney, who determines whether the officer’s actions meet Oklahoma’s legal standard for justified use of deadly force.—
Stephen Martin,
Oklahoma Watch,
5 Mar. 2026
-
An attack on Iran was both justified and necessary.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rightful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rightful. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
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