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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

Meanwhile, the live band let us feel language as music by accompanying the performances with right-on renditions of Sly and the Family Stone and Teddy Pendergrass.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2023

“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 not an incitement to anything. We’re politically correct, right-on, the last magazine that would recommend violence or killing anyone. “Our cover is a provocation to think,” he added.

From Washington Times ● Feb. 3, 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

I don't say nothing agen the Marquis, sir," said Rake doggedly; "he's a right-on generous gentleman, but he aren't you.

From Under Two Flags by Ouida

The fund has also gotten the timing right on big AI plays.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

The next morning, we arrive right on time and there waiting for us is Professor Nohria.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

She’d been traveling all over the Balkans, to untouched places that seem right on the verge of being truly developed for tourism.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

Over the last decade, preservation has become a focal point in Broad Beach, a hyper-exclusive enclave where celebrities and business tycoons spend tens of millions of dollars for homes right on the water.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

They camped for the night in a grove of tall white sycamores, right on the bank of the Illinois River.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

• absolutely right
• correct
• right
• true