rightful

[rahyt-fuh l]

adjective

having a valid or just claim, as to some property or position; legitimate: the rightful owner of the farm.
belonging or held by a valid or just claim: one's rightful property.
equitable or just, as actions or a cause.

proper; appropriate; fitting.

Origin of rightful

before 1150; Middle English; late Old English rihtful; see right (noun), -ful

Related formsright·ful·ly, adverbright·ful·ness, nounun·right·ful, adjectiveun·right·ful·ly, adverbun·right·ful·ness, noun

Can be confusedright righteous rightful (see usage note at right)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for rightful

Contemporary Examples

But fear of something that is not actually a threat is not rightful fear, but rather paranoia.
Ebola, ISIS, the Border: So Much to Fear, So Little Time!
Gene Robinson
November 2, 2014
Imagine the rightful morning-after furor if a racial slight had been broadcast in primetime.
Why ‘Black-ish’ Has a Gay Problem
Tim Teeman
October 3, 2014
Still, taking their rightful place behind the bar comes with a unique set of challenges.
The Ladies Disrupting the Bartender Boys’ Club
Brandy Zadrozny
September 7, 2014
Theoretically, the bank should have tried to find the rightful owner.
Adolf Hitler: Secret Billionaire
Nico Hines
June 27, 2014
“Fire cannot kill a dragon,” says Dany, who asserts her claim as the rightful Targaryen heir to the Iron Throne.
Game of Thrones’ 8 Most Gruesome Deaths: From The Mountain’s Exploding Head Kill to Rat Torture
Marlow Stern
June 4, 2014

Historical Examples

Certes, we were traitors when we left our rightful lady for a stranger.
Cameos from English History, from Rollo to Edward II
Charlotte Mary Yonge
But I thought you must leave the coach, with all the rest, to the rightful heir.
Tales And Novels, Volume 4 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
Then you regained your sanity and put him in his rightful place.
The Monster Men
Edgar Rice Burroughs
We did not want the farce, that night, even as our rightful due.
Meadow Grass
Alice Brown
And very glad her rightful lord and master was to have her back again!
Cleo The Magnificent
Louis Zangwill

British Dictionary definitions for rightful

rightful

adjective

in accordance with what is right; proper or just
(prenominal) having a legally or morally just claimthe rightful owner
(prenominal) held by virtue of a legal or just claimmy rightful property

Derived Formsrightfully, adverbrightfulness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for rightful

adj.

Old English rihtful; see right (adj.1) + -ful. Related: Rightfully; rightfulness.

rightful

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}rightful

Examples from the Web for rightful

Contemporary Examples

But fear of something that is not actually a threat is not rightful fear, but rather paranoia.

Imagine the rightful morning-after furor if a racial slight had been broadcast in primetime.

Still, taking their rightful place behind the bar comes with a unique set of challenges.

Theoretically, the bank should have tried to find the rightful owner.

“Fire cannot kill a dragon,” says Dany, who asserts her claim as the rightful Targaryen heir to the Iron Throne.

Historical Examples

Certes, we were traitors when we left our rightful lady for a stranger.

But I thought you must leave the coach, with all the rest, to the rightful heir.

Then you regained your sanity and put him in his rightful place.

We did not want the farce, that night, even as our rightful due.

And very glad her rightful lord and master was to have her back again!

rightful

Word Origin and History for rightful

adj.

Origin of rightful