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• right-on
  right-on

  adjective

  exactly right or to the point.
• right on
  right on

  interjection

  an exclamation of full agreement, concurrence, or compliance with the wishes, words, or actions of another

right-on

American  

[rahyt-on, -awn] / ˈraɪtˈɒn, -ˈɔn /

adjective

Slang.

1. exactly right or to the point.

2. up-to-date; relevant.

   a right-on movie that shows conditions as they really are.

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right on British  

interjection

1. slang an exclamation of full agreement, concurrence, or compliance with the wishes, words, or actions of another

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adjective

1. informal modern, trendy, and socially aware or relevant

   right-on green politics

right on Idioms  

1. An exclamation of enthusiasm or encouragement, as in You've said it really well—right on! This interjection has a disputed origin. Some believe it comes from African-American slang (it was recorded in Odum and Johnson's The Negro and His Songs, 1925); others feel it is a shortening of right on target, used by military airmen, or right on cue, theatrical slang for saying the right lines at the right time. [Slang; first half of 1900s] Also see way to go.

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Etymology

Origin of right-on

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

right-on right on

“His unassailable integrity and right-on powers of assessment allowed him to act as a highly effective advocate for me.” she said.

From New York Times ● Dec. 21, 2019

It’s this commitment that means the Primavera lineup isn’t just one of the most right-on bills of the summer, but also one of the best.

From The Guardian ● May 3, 2019

We have little doubt that our analysis of how Teachout would be voting had she won the election would be as right-on as that of Faso.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 22, 2017

At the time, The Guardian said "the whole show is a mess", while a scathing review in the Daily Mail referred to it as "super right-on" and "tooth-achingly trendy".

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2016

Through the open door to the sitting-room, and down the wall to the right-on and on she crept.

From Across the Years by Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter

“If I had not told the truth, completely and right on the spot, everything that followed would have been different.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

That standing dispute matters all the more because Roberts and the other dissenters thought the trust was likely right on the underlying law.

From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026

This can create a transmission hotspot right on our back deck.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026

"It is going to be a fantastic eclipse in Spain, we are right on the path of totality," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

In thin black marker, right on the sleeve, someone had drawn a picture.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Related Words

• absolutely right
• correct
• right
• true