rightful
Americanadjective
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having a valid or just claim, as to some property or position; legitimate.
the rightful owner of the farm.
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belonging or held by a valid or just claim.
one's rightful property.
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equitable or just, as actions or a cause.
adjective
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in accordance with what is right; proper or just
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(prenominal) having a legally or morally just claim
the rightful owner
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(prenominal) held by virtue of a legal or just claim
my rightful property
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rightful
First recorded before 1150; Middle English; late Old English rihtful; see right (noun), -ful
Explanation
Something that's rightful is deserved or legitimate. If you accidentally grab someone else's coat when you leave school, you'll have to bring it back and return it to its rightful owner. You'll frequently find rightful describing the word owner: "Police were quickly able to return the puppy to its rightful owner after the hoodlum grabbed it from the back yard." Anything or anyone with a legal right to something is considered rightful, so a newly elected U.S. president takes their rightful place as leader of the country as soon as they're sworn in.
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.
It’s more probable that the financial-services company is looking for confirmation that she has died so they can begin administering her account and, if appropriate, distributing any assets to the rightful beneficiaries or heirs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
We want her body back for her rightful funeral in our hometown.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
She draws from a lineage of Black thinkers who have spent decades restoring Reconstruction to its rightful place at the center of constitutional law.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
The county’s steps haven’t stopped the chaos: A splinter group from the condo now has elected a new board, which claims to have rightful control over the property.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
“The Dagger of Serendib is a thousand-year-old historical artifact from our country that was stolen and taken away from its rightful home.”
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
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.
