the hand that is on the right side, or the side opposite that where the heart is.
the right side, as of a person, especially this side considered as the side of precedence or courtesy.
a position of honor or special trust.
an extremely efficient or reliable person or, sometimes, tool, especially a person considered as one's assistant.
on the right.
of, for, or with the right hand.
most reliable, valuable, or useful, as a helper or assistant.
Building Trades. Also
(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.
(of a casement sash) having the hinges on the right when seen from inside the window.
of, relating to, located on, or moving towards the right
a right-hand bend
this car has right-hand drive
for use by the right hand; right-handed
one's most valuable assistant or supporter
before 1000; Middle English; Old English
adj. use of right hand
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."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Reinecke incurred a slight injury to her right hand, but her mother was hit by the blown-out glass.
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026
On Monday - while most of Westminster's attention was on Andy Burnham - the SNP's Lara Bird appeared to have her fingers crossed as she held up her right hand and took the oath.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
Ohtani has been pitching through a blister on the middle finger of his right hand.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2026
I didn’t see it before ’cause his dad’s oversized shirt hung over his hands, but now I see there’s a black tree tattooed on the back of his right hand.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
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.
