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
Jordan Roth plays Bentley’s somewhat sinister, sometimes helpful right hand kitted out post-glam Bowie style.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Local authorities have said four more victims of the fire, recovered in a right hand drive vehicle, were thought to be British.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 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
Her right hand shot out and took the brunt of the fall.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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
He moved to the right-hand side of the attack against Egypt.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Assistant coach Alberto Encinas specialises in technical development, while Sebastian 'Sebas' Parrilla is Alonso's right-hand man and the most experienced member of the coaching staff.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
I slip my phone into the right-hand one.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
