right
[ rahyt ]
/ raɪt /
adjective, right·er, right·est.
in accordance with what is good, proper, or just: right conduct.
in conformity with fact, reason, truth, or some standard or principle; correct: the right solution; the right answer.
correct in judgment, opinion, or action.
fitting or appropriate; suitable: to say the right thing at the right time.
most convenient, desirable, or favorable: Omaha is the right location for a meatpacking firm.
of, relating to, or located on or near the side of a person or thing that is turned toward the east when the subject is facing north (opposed to left).
in a satisfactory state; in good order: to put things right.
sound, sane, or normal: to be in one's right mind; She wasn't right in her head when she made the will.
in good health or spirits: I don't feel quite right today.
principal, front, or upper: the right side of cloth.
(often initial capital letter) of or relating to political conservatives or their beliefs.
socially approved, desirable, or influential: to go to the right schools and know the right people.
formed by or with reference to a perpendicular: a right angle.
straight: a right line.
Geometry. having an axis perpendicular to the base: a right cone.
Mathematics. pertaining to an element of a set that has a given property when placed on the right of an element or set of elements of the given set: a right identity.
genuine; authentic: the right owner.
noun
a just claim or title, whether legal, prescriptive, or moral: You have a right to say what you please.
Sometimes rights. that which is due to anyone by just claim, legal guarantees, moral principles, etc.: women's rights; Freedom of speech is a right of all Americans.
adherence or obedience to moral and legal principles and authority.
that which is morally, legally, or ethically proper: to know right from wrong.
a moral, ethical, or legal principle considered as an underlying cause of truth, justice, morality, or ethics.
Sometimes rights. the interest or ownership a person, group, or business has in property: He has a 50-percent right in a silver mine. The author controls the screen rights for the book.
the property itself or its value.
Finance.
- the privilege, usually preemptive, that accrues to the owners of the stock of a corporation to subscribe to additional shares of stock or securities convertible into stock at an advantageous price.
- Often rights. the privilege of subscribing to a specified amount of a stock or bond issue, or the document certifying this privilege.
that which is in accord with fact, reason, propriety, the correct way of thinking, etc.
the state or quality or an instance of being correct.
the side that is normally opposite to that where the heart is; the direction toward that side: to turn to the right.
a right-hand turn: Make a right at the top of the hill.
the portion toward the right, as of troops in battle formation: Our right crumbled.
(in a pair) the member that is shaped for, used by, or situated on the right side: Is this shoe a left or a right?
the right hand: Jab with your left and punch with your right.
the Right,
- the complex of individuals or organized groups opposing change in a liberal direction and usually advocating maintenance of the established social, political, or economic order.
- the position held by these people: The Depression led to a movement away from the Right.Compare left1(defs 6a, b).
- right wing.
(usually initial capital letter) the part of a legislative assembly, especially in continental Europe, that is situated on the right side of the presiding officer and that is customarily assigned to members of the legislature who hold more conservative or reactionary views than the rest of the members.
the members of such an assembly who sit on the Right.
Boxing. a blow delivered by the right hand: a right to the jaw.
Baseball. right field.
adverb
in a straight or direct line; straight; directly: right to the bottom; to come right home.
quite or completely; all the way: My hat was knocked right off.
immediately; promptly: right after dinner.
exactly; precisely: right here.
correctly or accurately: to guess right.
uprightly or righteously: to obey one's conscience and live right.
properly or fittingly: to behave right.
advantageously, favorably, or well: to turn out right.
toward the right hand; on or to the right: to keep right; to turn right.
Archaic or Dialect. very; extremely: a right fine day.
very (used in certain titles): the right reverend.
verb (used with object), right·ed, right·ing.
to put in or restore to an upright position: to right a fallen lamp.
to put in proper order, condition, or relationship: to right a crookedly hung picture.
to bring into conformity with fact; correct: to right one's point of view.
to do justice to; avenge: to be righted in court.
to redress, as a wrong.
verb (used without object), right·ed, right·ing.
to resume an upright or the proper position: After the storm the saplings righted.
Words related to right
good, legal, honest, appropriate, legitimate, proper, honorable, suitable, true, perfect, sure, valid, correct, decent, acceptable, desirable, ideal, common, convenient, sufficient
Words nearby right
Idioms for right
by rights, in fairness; justly: You should by rights have been asked your opinion on the matter.
in one's own right, by reason of one's own ability, ownership, etc.; in or of oneself, as independent of others: He is a rich man in his own right.
- (used as an expression of emphatic agreement.)
- okay: “Can we meet tonight?” “Too right.”
in the right, having the support of reason or law; correct: It pays to be stubborn when one is in the right.
right and left, on every side; in all directions: throwing his clothes right and left; members resigning right and left.
right away/off, without hesitation; immediately: She made a good impression right off.
right on, Slang. exactly right; precisely.
too right, Australian Slang.
to rights, into proper condition or order: to set a room to rights.
Origin of right
before 900; (noun and adj.) Middle English; Old English reht, riht; cognate with Dutch, German recht, Old Norse rēttr, Gothic raihts; akin to Latin rēctus, Old Irish recht law, Greek orektós upright; (v.) Middle English righten, Old English rihtan, cognate with Old Frisian riuchta, German richten, Old Norse rētta; (adv.) Middle English; Old English rihte
OTHER WORDS FROM right
right·a·ble, adjectivehalf-right, adjective, nounun·right·a·ble, adjectiveun·right·ed, adjectiveusage note for right
47. Right in the sense of “very, extremely” is either archaic or dialectal. It is most common in informal speech and writing: It's right cold this morning. The editor knew right well where the story had originated.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Examples from the Web for right
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
Everywhere I go, ‘Hey Cartman, you must like Family Guy, right?’
Charlie ridiculed my faith and culture and I died defending his right to do so.
It is grandstanding for a right rarely protected unless under immediate attack.
Asserting our right to free speech is the only to ensure that 12 people did not die in vain.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEASTRousseau was right; he was a being apart; and the philosophers could not forgive him for his independence.
A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times|Francois Pierre Guillaume GuizotSlowly her right hand rose above her head with its index finger extended and slowly came down to her side.
The Light in the Clearing|Irving BachellerHow are we to know what is right and wrong, and what are our motives for approving and disapproving the good and the bad?
The Life of Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, Bart., K.C.S.I.|Sir Leslie StephenI see I shall have to explain this, although I had hoped to get right along with my story.
Houlihan's Equation|Walt SheldonIt is only the Gospel which unites them, in a right manner, “by a divine art.”
Pascal|John Tulloch
British Dictionary definitions for right
right
/ (raɪt) /
adjective
in accordance with accepted standards of moral or legal behaviour, justice, etcright conduct
in accordance with fact, reason, or truth; correct or truethe right answer
appropriate, suitable, fitting, or properthe right man for the job
most favourable or convenient; preferredthe right time to act
in a satisfactory condition; orderlythings are right again now
indicating or designating the correct timethe clock is right
correct in opinion or judgment
sound in mind or body; healthy or sane
(usually prenominal) of, designating, or located near the side of something or someone that faces east when the front is turned towards the northRelated adjective: dextral
(usually prenominal) worn on a right hand, foot, etc
(sometimes capital) of, designating, supporting, belonging to, or relating to the political or intellectual right (see sense 39)
(sometimes capital) conservative or reactionarythe right wing of the party
geometry
- formed by or containing a line or plane perpendicular to another line or plane
- having the axis perpendicular to the basea right circular cone
- straighta right line
relating to or designating the side of cloth worn or facing outwards
informal (intensifier)a right idiot
in one's right mind sane
she'll be right Australian and NZ informal that's all right; not to worry
the right side of
- in favour withyou'd better stay on the right side of him
- younger thanshe's still on the right side of fifty
adverb
too right Australian and NZ informal an exclamation of agreement
in accordance with correctness or truth; accuratelyto guess right
in the appropriate manner; properlydo it right next time!
in a straight line; directlyright to the top
in the direction of the east from the point of view of a person or thing facing north
absolutely or completely; utterlyhe went right through the floor
all the waythe bus goes right to the city centre
without delay; immediately or promptlyI'll be right over
exactly or preciselyright here
in a manner consistent with a legal or moral code; justly or righteouslydo right by me
in accordance with propriety; fittingly or suitablyit serves you right
to good or favourable advantage; wellit all came out right in the end
(esp in religious titles) most or veryright reverend
informal, or dialect (intensifier)I'm right glad to see you
right, left, and centre on all sides; from every direction
right off the bat informal as the first in a series; to begin with
noun
any claim, title, etc, that is morally just or legally granted as allowable or due to a personI know my rights
anything that accords with the principles of legal or moral justice
the fact or state of being in accordance with reason, truth, or accepted standards (esp in the phrase in the right)
Irish an obligation or dutyyou had a right to lock the door
the right side, direction, position, area, or partthe right of the army; look to the right
the right (often capital) the supporters or advocates of social, political, or economic conservatism or reaction, based generally on a belief that things are better left unchanged (opposed to radical or left)
boxing
- a punch with the right hand
- the right hand
finance
- (often plural) the privilege of a company's shareholders to subscribe for new issues of the company's shares on advantageous terms
- the negotiable certificate signifying this privilege
by right or by rights properly; justlyby rights you should be in bed
in one's own right having a claim or title oneself rather than through marriage or other connectiona peeress in her own right
to rights consistent with justice, correctness, or orderly arrangementhe put the matter to rights
verb (mainly tr)
(also intr) to restore to or attain a normal, esp an upright, positionthe raft righted in a few seconds
to make (something) accord with truth or facts; correct
to restore to an orderly state or condition; put right
to make reparation for; compensate for or redress (esp in the phrase right a wrong)
sentence substitute
- indicating that a statement has been understood
- asking whether a statement has been understood
- indicating a subdividing point within a discourse
interjection
an expression of agreement or compliance
Derived forms of right
righter, nounWord Origin for right
Old English riht, reoht; related to Old High German reht, Gothic raihts, Latin rēctus
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
Idioms and Phrases with right
right
In addition to the idioms beginning with right
- right and left
- right as rain
- right away
- right in the head
- right off
- right off the bat
- right of way
- right on
- right out
- right side of the tracks
- right side, on someone's
- right tack
- right up one's alley
also see:
- all right
- all right for you
- all right with one
- by rights
- come (right) out with
- dead to rights
- get right
- give one's eyeteeth (right arm)
- go right
- go (right) through one
- hang a left (right)
- have a right to
- have a screw loose (one's head screwed on right)
- heart in the right place
- hit (right) between the eyes
- in one's own right
- in one's right mind
- in the right
- left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing
- might makes right
- not right in the head
- (right) on the money
- on the right foot
- on the right tack
- play one's cards right
- price is right
- put right
- sail (right) through
- serve one right
- set right
- set to rights
- step in the right direction
- strike the right note
- that's right
- turn out all right
- two wrongs do not make a right
- when it comes (right down) to
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.