right hand
noun
the hand that is on the right side, or the side opposite that where the heart is.
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right hand
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right-hand
right-handadjectiveon the right.
right hand
1 Americannoun
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right hands
plural
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the hand that is on the right side, or the side opposite that where the heart is.
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the right side, as of a person, especially this side considered as the side of precedence or courtesy.
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a position of honor or special trust.
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an extremely efficient or reliable person or, sometimes, tool, especially a person considered as one's assistant.
right-hand
2
American
[rahyt-hand]
/ ˈraɪtˈhænd /
adjective
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on the right.
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of, for, or with the right hand.
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most reliable, valuable, or useful, as a helper or assistant.
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Building Trades. Also
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(of a door) having the hinges on the right when seen from the exterior of the building, room, closet, etc., to which the doorway leads.
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(of a casement sash) having the hinges on the right when seen from inside the window.
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right-hand
British
adjective
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of, relating to, located on, or moving towards the right
a right-hand bend
this car has right-hand drive
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for use by the right hand; right-handed
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one's most valuable assistant or supporter
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of right hand1
before 1000; Middle English; Old English
Origin of right-hand2
adj. use of right hand
Explanation
Anything on the right-hand side is on the right. Just add hand if you don’t want people getting it confused with right as in “correct.” Also, your most reliable friend is your right-hand woman (or man). Your car's turn signal may be on the right-hand side of the steering wheel, and your dishwasher might be on the right-hand side of your kitchen sink. In both cases, right-hand describes something located toward the right, or in the direction of your right hand. A right-hand person, on the other hand, is someone you know you can depend on. In the musical "Hamilton," George Washington asks Alexander Hamilton to be his "right-hand man."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Eatherly switched the selfie stick to his left hand and put his right hand in his jacket pocket.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
The 29-year-old, fighting under new trainer Rob McCracken, rocked Williamson with a big right hand in the third round.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
He lost the use of his right hand after a bombing in 1981, burnishing his credentials as a Shia revolutionary who has known sacrifice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
He kept a towel draped over his right hand for almost the entire game to cover the black brace covering his wrist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Jonathan put his right hand in the water and paddled hard, trying to turn his tree toward Abby.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
Around the same time, Kinahan’s right-hand man, Sean McGovern, was arrested in Dubai.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Her reputation as Clark’s right-hand and enforcer spread along with the viral clip.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
But this year the 29-year-old Visma-Lease a Bike rider abandoned after breaking his collarbone on a easy right-hand bend on stage 15.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
He said four of the dead were in a right-hand drive car that indicated they were British, but that their identities were still being confirmed.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
“If you look very carefully, you’ll see it. Up in the far right-hand corner.”
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
