2
: being in accordance with what is just, good, or proper
right conduct
3
: conforming to facts or truth : correct
the right answer
4
: suitable, appropriate
the right man for the job
5
: straight
a right line
7
a
: of, relating to, situated on, or being the side of the body which is away from the side on which the heart is mostly located
b
: located nearer to the right hand than to the left
c
: located to the right of an observer facing the object specified or directed as the right arm would point when raised out to the side
d(1)
: located on the right of an observer facing in the same direction as the object specified
stage right
(2)
: located on the right when facing downstream
the right bank of a river
e
: done with the right hand
a right hook to the jaw
8
: having the axis perpendicular to the base
right cone
9
: of, relating to, or constituting the principal or more prominent side of an object
made sure the socks were right side out
10
: acting or judging in accordance with truth or fact
time proved her right
11
a
: being in good physical or mental health or order
not in his right mind
b
: being in a correct or proper state
put things right
12
: most favorable or desired : preferable
also
: socially acceptable
knew all the right people
13
often capitalized
: of, adhering to, or constituted by the Right especially in politics
rightness
noun
1
: qualities (such as adherence to duty or obedience to lawful authority) that together constitute the ideal of moral propriety or merit moral approval
2
: something to which one has a just claim: such as
a
: the power or privilege to which one is justly entitled
voting rights
his right to decide
b(1)
: the interest that one has in a piece of property
—often used in plural
mineral rights
(2)
rights plural
: the property interest possessed under law or custom and agreement in an intangible thing especially of a literary and artistic nature
film rights of the novel
3
: something that one may properly claim as due
knowing the truth is her right
4
: the cause of truth or justice
5
a
: right hand sense 1a
also
: a blow struck with this hand
gave him a hard right on the jaw
b
: the location or direction of the right side
woods on his right
c
: the part on the right side
d
e
: a turn to the right
take a right at the stop sign
6
a
: the true account or correct interpretation
b
: the quality or state of being factually correct
7
often capitalized
a
: the part of a legislative chamber located to the right of the presiding officer
b
: the members of a continental European legislative body occupying the right as a result of holding more conservative political views than other members
8
a
often capitalized
: individuals professing support of the established order and favoring traditional attitudes and practices and conservative governmental policies
b
often capitalized
: a conservative position
9
a
: a privilege given stockholders to subscribe pro rata to a new issue of securities generally below market price
b
: the negotiable certificate evidencing such privilege
—usually used in plural
1
: according to right
live right
2
: in the exact location, position, or moment : precisely
right at his fingertips
quit right then and there
3
: in a suitable, proper, or desired manner
knew he wasn't doing it right
4
5
: according to fact or truth : truly
guessed right
6
a
: all the way
windows right to the floor
b
: in a complete manner
felt right at home
7
: without delay : immediately
right after lunch
8
: to a great degree : very
a right pleasant day
9
: on or to the right
looked left and right
righted; righting; rights
1
2
: avenge
vows to right the injustice done to his family
3
a
: to adjust or restore to the proper state or condition
right the economy
b
: to bring or restore to an upright position
right a capsized boat
: to become upright
righter
noun
Synonyms
Example Sentences
Adjective
You can't treat me like this! It's not right!
You were right to tell the teacher about the girl who you saw cheating.
Telling the teacher was the right thing to do.
“Is that clock right? Is it noon already?” “Yes. That's right.”
There's something not quite right about his story.
Their theory was proved right.
Let me get this right—you want me to lend you $1,000?!
You're right; the answer is six.
I bet you like baseball. Am I right?
Am I right in thinking that he should have never loaned her the money?
Noun
We discussed the rights and wrongs of genetic cloning.
women fighting for equal rights
Knowing the truth is her right.
Adverb
The keys are right where I said they would be.
“Where are my keys?” “They're right here.”
The bank is right next to the pharmacy.
The parking lot is right in front of the building.
He left his bags right in the middle of the floor.
She was waiting right outside the door.
The ball hit me right in the face.
We arrived right at noon.
You are right on time.
When the boss yelled at him, he quit right then and there.
Verb
It was time to right an old wrong.
No one can right all the wrongs in the world.
The government needs to do something to right the economy.
They righted the capsized boat.
He quickly righted himself after he fell off the chair.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
WIRED, 15 June 2023
And that was right when Russian progress stalled and Ukrainians managed to take back territories that had taken a lot of effort for the Russians to conquer.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 15 June 2023
Whether Gorsuch’s or Thomas’s reading of the Indian commerce clause is right is more than just abstract legal theory.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 15 June 2023
Both rhythmically and lyrically, this song was just right.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 15 June 2023
Overall length, at 6.25 inches, is just right, and the 2.5-inch-long blade is perfect for quick strikes and slashing.
—Jace Bauserman, Field & Stream, 15 June 2023
In May 2022, Schreiber hosted a Unite for Ukraine fundraiser in Washington D.C., and Neisen was right by his side for the event.
—Kaitlin Stevens, Peoplemag, 14 June 2023
There’s something about the hum of a lobby, the theater of a bustling pool deck, and the indulgence of a room service club sandwich that just feels right.
—Adam Rathe, Town & Country, 14 June 2023
Jenkins received the call from offensive line coach Chris Morgan about five minutes after the Bears signed free-agent right guard Nate Davis in March.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2023
Callum McLennan, Variety, 29 June 2023
Florida in 2005 passed its stand-your-ground law, which expanded the right to defend one’s home from intruders — known as castle doctrine — into a more general right to use force in any public place.
—María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 28 June 2023
The lawsuit was brought by North Carolina voters backed by voting rights groups against Republicans who control the legislature.
—Patrick Marley, Colby Itkowitz and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 28 June 2023
With the need to control both foreign and domestic streaming rights, both revenue streams dried up and CBS Studios and Warners opted to instead sell a controlling 75 percent stake in the network to Nexstar.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 June 2023
This award is presented to an individual known predominately as a songwriter, selected by a professional panel of judges composed of songwriters, publishers, producers, and performing rights organization (PRO) representatives.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 27 June 2023
The Texas law will also allow third-party entities operating as 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations to compensate an athlete for their NIL rights.
—Steve Berkowitz, USA TODAY, 27 June 2023
Although Delphine's mother, Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, was not married to the former monarch, a court in Brussels ruled that Delphine has the same legal rights as his other children, including a royal title.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 27 June 2023
For now, what matters is the unexpected string of victories that voting rights advocates have achieved at the Supreme Court this month.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 27 June 2023
Luke Broadwater, BostonGlobe.com, 30 June 2023
And the fact that the encounter comes right after Iskat has been, in her eyes, demoted by Mace Windu makes the meeting all the more timely.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 29 June 2023
Pence's surprise visit comes at an eventful time in the war, right in between last weekend's coup attempt in Russia and a Tuesday evening attack on a pizza parlor in eastern Ukraine that killed 12 and injured more than 60.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 29 June 2023
Right-handed reliever Will Vest suffered a right lower leg strain in Monday's game, too.
—Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 29 June 2023
Now 16% Off $21 at Amazon Start the day off right with a polished entry, including a stylish wall organizer for school forms, doctors' notes and the like.
—Alyssa Gautieri, Good Housekeeping, 29 June 2023
In a tie with Garcia, right behind Seager and Mike Trout, is Heim.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 28 June 2023
Amazon Prime Day 2023 is coming up on July 11 and 12, meaning one of the best chances of the year to save on Apple products is right around the corner.
—Ellen McAlpine, Harper's BAZAAR, 28 June 2023
Every punctuation, every hesitation was right there.
—Thea Glassman, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2023
Theo MacKie, The Arizona Republic, 4 June 2023
There was one fundamental problem right off the bat, and the show’s subsequent episodes may never be able to right it.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 4 June 2023
The show absolutely righted itself, or was denying us pleasure before granting it again.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 28 May 2023
Ben Cohen just launched a weed brand with a high-minded purpose—giving away 100% of its profits to right some of the racial injustices from America’s War on Drugs.
—Will Yakowicz, Forbes, 5 May 2023
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Now 48% Off $8 at Amazon$12 at Macy's$14 at Bookshop If you weren't obsessed with this book as a teenager, now's your chance to right that wrong.
—Juliana Ukiomogbe, ELLE, 27 Feb. 2023
Now 14-2 and 3-2 in conference play, the Huskies will need to right the ship before matching up with Creighton, the team projected to finish No. 1 in the conference coaches’ poll prior to the season.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2023
So righting that wrong was of paramount importance to Caplan and showrunner Alexandra Cunningham.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 24 May 2023
Bland, too, has something to say about the misappropriation of the cross to recast the values upon which our society is built, and how the nation's wealth can be used to right this wrong.
—The Arizona Republic, 10 May 2023
See More
Adjective
If Dölen’s undergraduate self was right, then sure, the internal landscape of our minds really does boil down to molecules.
—WIRED, 15 June 2023
And that was right when Russian progress stalled and Ukrainians managed to take back territories that had taken a lot of effort for the Russians to conquer.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 15 June 2023
Whether Gorsuch’s or Thomas’s reading of the Indian commerce clause is right is more than just abstract legal theory.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 15 June 2023
Both rhythmically and lyrically, this song was just right.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 15 June 2023
Overall length, at 6.25 inches, is just right, and the 2.5-inch-long blade is perfect for quick strikes and slashing.
—Jace Bauserman, Field & Stream, 15 June 2023
In May 2022, Schreiber hosted a Unite for Ukraine fundraiser in Washington D.C., and Neisen was right by his side for the event.
—Kaitlin Stevens, Peoplemag, 14 June 2023
There’s something about the hum of a lobby, the theater of a bustling pool deck, and the indulgence of a room service club sandwich that just feels right.
—Adam Rathe, Town & Country, 14 June 2023
Jenkins received the call from offensive line coach Chris Morgan about five minutes after the Bears signed free-agent right guard Nate Davis in March.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2023
Noun
Screen legend Ron Perlman looks set to take a leading role in an adaptation of Carlos Augusto Casas’s award winning novel, ‘Ya no quedan junglas adonde regresar,’ whose big screen adaptation rights have been secured by producer Álvaro Ariza’s production company, Esto También Pasará.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 29 June 2023
Florida in 2005 passed its stand-your-ground law, which expanded the right to defend one’s home from intruders — known as castle doctrine — into a more general right to use force in any public place.
—María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 28 June 2023
The lawsuit was brought by North Carolina voters backed by voting rights groups against Republicans who control the legislature.
—Patrick Marley, Colby Itkowitz and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 28 June 2023
With the need to control both foreign and domestic streaming rights, both revenue streams dried up and CBS Studios and Warners opted to instead sell a controlling 75 percent stake in the network to Nexstar.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 June 2023
This award is presented to an individual known predominately as a songwriter, selected by a professional panel of judges composed of songwriters, publishers, producers, and performing rights organization (PRO) representatives.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 27 June 2023
The Texas law will also allow third-party entities operating as 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations to compensate an athlete for their NIL rights.
—Steve Berkowitz, USA TODAY, 27 June 2023
Although Delphine's mother, Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, was not married to the former monarch, a court in Brussels ruled that Delphine has the same legal rights as his other children, including a royal title.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 27 June 2023
For now, what matters is the unexpected string of victories that voting rights advocates have achieved at the Supreme Court this month.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 27 June 2023
Adverb
Get Breaking News Alerts Stay up-to-date with important news developments, delivered right to your inbox.
—Luke Broadwater, BostonGlobe.com, 30 June 2023
And the fact that the encounter comes right after Iskat has been, in her eyes, demoted by Mace Windu makes the meeting all the more timely.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 29 June 2023
Pence's surprise visit comes at an eventful time in the war, right in between last weekend's coup attempt in Russia and a Tuesday evening attack on a pizza parlor in eastern Ukraine that killed 12 and injured more than 60.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 29 June 2023
Right-handed reliever Will Vest suffered a right lower leg strain in Monday's game, too.
—Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 29 June 2023
Now 16% Off $21 at Amazon Start the day off right with a polished entry, including a stylish wall organizer for school forms, doctors' notes and the like.
—Alyssa Gautieri, Good Housekeeping, 29 June 2023
In a tie with Garcia, right behind Seager and Mike Trout, is Heim.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 28 June 2023
Amazon Prime Day 2023 is coming up on July 11 and 12, meaning one of the best chances of the year to save on Apple products is right around the corner.
—Ellen McAlpine, Harper's BAZAAR, 28 June 2023
Every punctuation, every hesitation was right there.
—Thea Glassman, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2023
Verb
Acuña laced his third single of the game to right, then stole second to put two runners in scoring position with no outs.
—Theo MacKie, The Arizona Republic, 4 June 2023
There was one fundamental problem right off the bat, and the show’s subsequent episodes may never be able to right it.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 4 June 2023
The show absolutely righted itself, or was denying us pleasure before granting it again.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 28 May 2023
Ben Cohen just launched a weed brand with a high-minded purpose—giving away 100% of its profits to right some of the racial injustices from America’s War on Drugs.
—Will Yakowicz, Forbes, 5 May 2023
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Now 48% Off $8 at Amazon$12 at Macy's$14 at Bookshop If you weren't obsessed with this book as a teenager, now's your chance to right that wrong.
—Juliana Ukiomogbe, ELLE, 27 Feb. 2023
Now 14-2 and 3-2 in conference play, the Huskies will need to right the ship before matching up with Creighton, the team projected to finish No. 1 in the conference coaches’ poll prior to the season.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2023
So righting that wrong was of paramount importance to Caplan and showrunner Alexandra Cunningham.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 24 May 2023
Bland, too, has something to say about the misappropriation of the cross to recast the values upon which our society is built, and how the nation's wealth can be used to right this wrong.
—The Arizona Republic, 10 May 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'right.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English, from Old English riht; akin to Old High German reht right, Latin rectus straight, right, regere to lead straight, direct, rule, rogare to ask, Greek oregein to stretch out
Noun
Middle English, from Old English riht, from riht, adjective
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adverb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of right was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing right
Dictionary Entries Near right
Cite this Entry
“Right.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/right. Accessed 9 Jul. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
right
1 of 4 adjective1
2
: following what is just, good, or proper
right conduct
3
: agreeing with facts or truth : correct
the right answer
4
: appropriate entry 2, suitable
the right person for the job
the right tool
5
: straight sense 1
a right line
6
7
a
: of, relating to, situated on, or being the side of the body which is away from the side on which the heart is mostly located
the right leg
b
: located nearer to the right side of the body
the right arm of the chair
8
: being shaped in such a way that a line drawn from the middle of the top to the middle of the base is perpendicular to the base
a right cone
9
: being or meant to be the side on top, in front, or on the outside
landed right side up
right side out
10
: acting or judging in a way that agrees with truth or fact
time proved us right
11
: healthy in mind or body
did not feel right
12
: most worth having or seeking
the right neighborhoods
the right people
rightness
noun
right
2 of 4 noun1
: the ideal of what is just and good
2
: something to which one has a just claim
—often used in plural
the right to freedom of religionthe movie rights to a story
3
: something that one may properly claim as due
knowing the truth is her right
4
: the cause of truth or justice
fighting for right
5
a
: the right side or the part on the right side
b
: a turn to the right
take a right at the stop sign
6
: the quality or state of being factually correct
there's both right and wrong in that argument
7
often capitalized
: the members of a European legislative body sitting to the right of the officer in charge and holding more conservative political views than other members
8
often capitalized
: political conservatives
right
3 of 4 adverb1
: according to right
live right
2
: in the exact location or position : precisely
right where you left it
3
: in a suitable, proper, or desired manner
hold your pen right
4
: in a direct line or course
go right home
5
: according to fact or truth : truly
guess right
heard right
6
: all the way
windows right to the floor
7
: without delay : immediately
right at 2 o'clock
8
: to a great degree : very
a right pleasant day
right
4 of 4 verb1
: to make right (something wrong or unjust)
2
a
: to adjust or restore to the proper state or condition
b
: to bring or restore to an upright position
3
: to become upright
righter
noun
Medical Definition
right
adjective
: of, relating to, or being the side of the body which is away from the heart and on which the hand is stronger in most people
her right foot
also
: located nearer to this side than to the left
right
adverb
Legal Definition
right
nounˈrīt
1
a
: qualities (as adherence to duty or obedience to lawful authority) that together constitute the ideal of moral propriety or merit moral approval
b
: something that is morally just
able to distinguish right from wrong
2
: something to which one has a just claim: as
a
: a power, privilege, or condition of existence to which one has a natural claim of enjoyment or possession
the right of liberty
that all men…are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights—Declaration of Independence
see also natural right
Declaration of Independence
b
: a power, privilege, immunity, or capacity the enjoyment of which is secured to a person by law
one's constitutional rights
c
: a legally enforceable claim against another that the other will do or will not do a given act
the defendant may be under a legal duty…to exercise reasonable care for the plaintiff's safety, so that the plaintiff has a corresponding legal right to insist on that care—W. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton
W. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton
d
: the interest that one has in property : a claim or title to property
—often used in pl.
leasing mineral rights
see also real right
e
plural
: the interest in property possessed (as under copyright law) in an intangible thing and especially an item of intellectual property
obtained publishing rights
3
: a privilege given stockholders to subscribe pro rata to a new issue of securities generally below market price
Etymology
Noun
Old English riht, from riht righteous
More from Merriam-Webster on right
Nglish: Translation of right for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of right for Arabic Speakers
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