rightly
in accordance with truth or fact; correctly: to see rightly; to understand rightly.
in accordance with morality or equity; uprightly.
properly, fitly, or suitably: to be rightly dressed.
Informal. with certainty; positively: I can't rightly say.
Origin of rightly
1Words Nearby rightly
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use rightly in a sentence
Wars have traditionally been a job for Big Government, and rightly so.
The lesson from the botched COVID vaccine rollout: Sometimes you need ‘Big Government’ | Matthew Heimer | January 13, 2021 | FortuneStill, there’s a fear that other founders may be spooked, rightly or wrongly.
A cautionary tale: What the FTC’s attempt to block P&G’s Billie acquisition means for CPG startups | Anna Hensel | December 11, 2020 | DigidayYour impulse now is to stop the abuse directed at you and your children, rightly, but stopping the abuse on others’ behalf as well as your own is the side the angels are on.
Carolyn Hax: She’s tired of being a tongue-biter around a backbiter | Carolyn Hax | November 22, 2020 | Washington PostThe ball hit the ground and the Chargers’ would-be game-winning TD catch was rightly overturned.
NFL Week 10 power rankings: Saints move up on the heels of the Steelers and Chiefs | Mark Maske | November 10, 2020 | Washington PostOn the other hand, if you held it up to someone and said, “Look at this jiggling mass of balls and springs, it’s alive,” they would just laugh at you, and rightly so.
The Physicist’s New Book of Life - Issue 92: Frontiers | Michael Brooks | October 21, 2020 | Nautilus
Bonauto, now an official MacArthur genius, is rightly known as the Thurgood Marshall of the marriage movement.
The Real Story Behind the Fight for Marriage Equality | E.J. Graff | December 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTModern conservatives rightly (as it were) define themselves against the culture at large; hipsters seek to do so as well.
Glenn Beck Is Now Selling Hipster Clothes. Really. | Ana Marie Cox | December 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe sex workers I spoke with rightly call it “vile,” “gross,” “terrifying,” and “exploitative.”
To Catch a Sex Worker: A&E’s Awful, Exploitative Ambush Show | Samantha Allen | December 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe stated—quite rightly—that animals are never mentioned in connection with eternal life in the Bible.
Sorry, Internet: Pope Francis Didn't Open Paradise to Pets | Candida Moss | December 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe pictures of Gilkes emphasize, quite rightly and inevitably, his classic good looks.
William, Kate, and Jay Z’s Favorite Art Star: Alexander Gilkes' World of Rock Stars and Royalty | Tim Teeman | December 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe rightly cultivated expressive voice is the man—speaking.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge SouthwickMen cannot see the world clearly and they cannot, therefore, begin to think about it rightly.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation | H. G. (Herbert George) WellsThe single employer rightly knows that there is a wage higher than he can pay and hours shorter than he can grant.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen LeacockAnd every human being born upon the world represents a power of work that, rightly directed, more than supplies his wants.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen LeacockMalcolm guessed rightly that Mr. Tucker was the judge at that station, but he must not betray ignorance.
The Red Year | Louis Tracy
British Dictionary definitions for rightly
/ (ˈraɪtlɪ) /
in accordance with the facts; correctly
in accordance with principles of justice or morality
with good reason; justifiably: he was rightly annoyed with her
properly or suitably; appropriately: rightly dressed for a wedding
(used with a negative) informal with certainty; positively or precisely (usually in the phrases I don't rightly know, I can't rightly say)
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
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