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

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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
At this point, Lobo said the Sparks, who also have exclusive rights to re-sign All-Star guard Kelsey Plum through a core-qualifying offer, should lean into rebuilding as a championship contender through free agency rather than the draft. John Davis, Daily News, 12 Apr. 2026 The Cuban government announced the pardon of 2,000 prisoners earlier this month, but human-rights organizations said no political prisoners have been released so far. Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2026 As time goes on without definitive answers on refunds, Harrell sees more companies taking actions like selling the rights to their claims, preferring to pocket money now instead of waiting for a sum later down the line. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026 Judges also would have to take into account the rights of the victims. Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 12 Apr. 2026 Orbán used his supermajority to consolidate power, weaken the independence of the country’s courts, change the election system and restrict the rights of some minorities. Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026 In March, ahead of the book’s April 7 publication, A24 emerged victorious after heated competition for the adaptation rights. Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2026 Hartsuch appealed, but in October 2025, the Iowa Court of Appeals upheld the district court’s ruling, setting the stage for Hartsuch’s newest lawsuit alleging the board’s actions were unreasonable, violated his rights and destroyed his livelihood. Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 11 Apr. 2026 Some politicians have even proposed invoking Article 7 of the Treaty of the EU, a legal measure that could revoke Hungary's voting rights in the bloc. ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rights
Noun
  • Membership has its privileges, as Ogilvy’s memorable ad slogan for American Express went, and those privileges are of the monied variety.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Additionally, AAdvantage elite status members will lose their seat selection and upgrade privileges on Basic Economy fares.
    Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • According to Donelon, fraudulent-accident claims relating to big-rig collisions increased the average yearly insurance costs for each family in Louisiana by as much as six hundred dollars.
    Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Chip Roy on his campaign Roy rejected Middleton's claims about his record in an interview with CBS News Texas.
    Jack Fink April 12, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • There are so many reasons to be mad; the mostly baseless and endless attacks on higher education, the dismantling of life-saving research, ICE, the subverting of policy that redresses shameful social harms.
    Wendy Nelson Espeland, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
  • There are so many reasons to be mad; the mostly baseless and endless attacks on higher education, the dismantling of life-saving research, ICE, the subverting of policy that redresses shameful social harms.
    Wendy Nelson Espeland, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Surprise, surprise, JPMorgan Chase and other big banks survived this outrageous assault upon their prerogatives.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • Traditionally, Oscars hosts have been at their best when puncturing the pretensions of the stars in attendance, but for the most part, host Conan O’Brien bought into their sense of their own righteousness.
    Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
  • By the early 1950s, many clerics had come to see the Pahlavi monarchy, for all its secular pretensions, as a manageable partner.
    Bobby Ghosh, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Adjust the inputs and the output improves.
    Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2026
  • One of the easiest ways to revive it is by mixing in fresh compost, which improves both texture and nutrient content.
    Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Nothing betters the gift of time.
    Brie Stimson , Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • This bundle remedies the common storage complaint by including a USB hub along with a 512GB SD card, giving you way more room for files than any other machine in this rundown.
    K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Packing motion sickness remedies ahead of time is an easy way to avoid scrambling if the ship starts rocking.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rights. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.

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