RIGHTS Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

rights 1 of 2

noun

plural of right

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

Relevance

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

as in redresses

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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

Suu Kyi is serving her sentence under house arrest at an undisclosed location in the capital Naypyitaw, on charges that her supporters and rights groups have said are politically motivated. — ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026 The Coastal Commission is widely expected to take any adverse ruling to court, potentially arguing that the federal government can’t deny a state its fundamental rights — in this case, a say over projects that affect its economy — over politics. — Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 9 Aug. 2026 Matthews alleges the district violated his rights under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Since Schoenbrun was able to secure the rights to the song early in production, the crew had a significant amount of time to coordinate the film’s most ambitious sequence. — Matt Minton, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026 Many of them would likely have been better served by fictional films inspired by real-life figures, rather than being a slave to real-life events and the compromises involved with acquiring life rights. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2026 Lawsuits have been filed arguing this level of surveillance violates drivers' Fourth Amendment rights in Virginia and California and challenging the deployment of this technology in New York, South Carolina and West Virginia. — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026 Industrial companies and technology firms have already secured rights to the electricity generated at the site. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Aug. 2026 Wiener, 56, has built his campaign around a legislative record on housing, climate change, LGBT rights, and public safety. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rights

Noun

Bill 26-0192 gets rid of the requirement for the Board of Estimates’ approval of minor privileges, such as sidewalk and street closings or the approval of private signs extending into the public right of way.

— Joseph Landers, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2026
Some nepo-baby artists are more transparent about their privileges.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of privileges

Noun

The piece urges critical inquiry into such claims, emphasizing that human oversight, not AI's inherent deviousness, can be a sizable contributor.

— Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
The Ethics Committee, a bipartisan panel that investigates claims of misconduct involving House members, did not say if Miller’s request is what triggered the investigation.

— Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of claims

Noun

But my ultimate loyalty rests with the Constitution, which gives certain prerogatives to Congress.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 4 Aug. 2026
Exercising the prerogatives of citizenship meant a wearying, lifelong battle to mitigate harm—one that would invariably fail, as the experiences of one generation faded out of living memory and another one picked up the same arguments and same ideas to reconfigure them in new ways.

— Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026

Definition of prerogatives

Noun

The genre, with its sanitized storylines and Oscar-baiting pretensions, seems fundamentally at odds with the iconoclastic chef and television personality.

— Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
Like Paul Schrader’s 1982 version of the latter, this is an upscale genre piece whose pretensions towards Art are upfront, starting with a quotation from no less than Schopenhauer.

— Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026

Definition of pretensions

Verb

This reduces dependence on satellite navigation, improves resistance to electronic warfare, and enables attacks against discrete or moving targets such as ships, trains, and vehicles.

— Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Strengthening the core improves balance and stability, which supports movement and physical performance, experts say.

— Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of improves

Verb

This lessens the chance of fungal diseases and betters airflow and light exposure to all parts of the plant.

— Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 18 July 2026
If the Sharks make the playoffs next season and Celebrini betters his 115-point total from this season, wouldn’t his next deal become that much more expensive?

— Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026

Definition of betters

Verb

The product’s ceramide inclusion is also joined by skin care’s workhorse hyaluronic acid, antioxidant-rich vitamins C and E, plus sea buckthorn, which aids with brightening and thereby remedies dark spots.

— Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 17 July 2026
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, 12 July 2026