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right

[rahyt] /raɪt/
adjective, righter, rightest.
1.
in accordance with what is good, proper, or just:
right conduct.
2.
in conformity with fact, reason, truth, or some standard or principle; correct:
the right solution; the right answer.
3.
correct in judgment, opinion, or action.
4.
fitting or appropriate; suitable:
to say the right thing at the right time.
5.
most convenient, desirable, or favorable:
Omaha is the right location for a meatpacking firm.
6.
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).
7.
in a satisfactory state; in good order:
to put things right.
8.
sound, sane, or normal:
to be in one's right mind; She wasn't right in her head when she made the will.
9.
in good health or spirits:
I don't feel quite right today.
10.
principal, front, or upper:
the right side of cloth.
11.
(often initial capital letter) of or relating to political conservatives or their beliefs.
12.
socially approved, desirable, or influential:
to go to the right schools and know the right people.
13.
formed by or with reference to a perpendicular:
a right angle.
14.
straight:
a right line.
15.
Geometry. having an axis perpendicular to the base:
a right cone.
16.
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.
17.
genuine; authentic:
the right owner.
noun
18.
a just claim or title, whether legal, prescriptive, or moral:
You have a right to say what you please.
19.
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.
20.
adherence or obedience to moral and legal principles and authority.
21.
that which is morally, legally, or ethically proper:
to know right from wrong.
22.
a moral, ethical, or legal principle considered as an underlying cause of truth, justice, morality, or ethics.
23.
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.
24.
the property itself or its value.
25.
Finance.
  1. 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.
  2. Often, rights. the privilege of subscribing to a specified amount of a stock or bond issue, or the document certifying this privilege.
26.
that which is in accord with fact, reason, propriety, the correct way of thinking, etc.
27.
the state or quality or an instance of being correct.
28.
the side that is normally opposite to that where the heart is; the direction toward that side:
to turn to the right.
29.
a right-hand turn:
Make a right at the top of the hill.
30.
the portion toward the right, as of troops in battle formation:
Our right crumbled.
31.
(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?
32.
the right hand:
Jab with your left and punch with your right.
33.
the Right.
  1. 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.
  2. the position held by these people:
    The Depression led to a movement away from the Right.
    Compare left1 (defs 6a, b).
  3. right wing.
34.
(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.
35.
the members of such an assembly who sit on the Right.
36.
Boxing. a blow delivered by the right hand:
a right to the jaw.
37.
Baseball. right field.
adverb
38.
in a straight or direct line; straight; directly:
right to the bottom; to come right home.
39.
quite or completely; all the way:
My hat was knocked right off.
40.
immediately; promptly:
right after dinner.
41.
exactly; precisely:
right here.
42.
correctly or accurately:
to guess right.
43.
uprightly or righteously:
to obey one's conscience and live right.
44.
properly or fittingly:
to behave right.
45.
advantageously, favorably, or well:
to turn out right.
46.
toward the right hand; on or to the right:
to keep right; to turn right.
47.
Archaic or Dialect. very; extremely:
a right fine day.
48.
very (used in certain titles):
the right reverend.
verb (used with object), righted, righting.
49.
to put in or restore to an upright position:
to right a fallen lamp.
50.
to put in proper order, condition, or relationship:
to right a crookedly hung picture.
51.
to bring into conformity with fact; correct:
to right one's point of view.
52.
to do justice to; avenge:
to be righted in court.
53.
to redress, as a wrong.
verb (used without object), righted, righting.
54.
to resume an upright or the proper position:
After the storm the saplings righted.
Idioms
55.
by rights, in fairness; justly:
You should by rights have been asked your opinion on the matter.
56.
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.
57.
in the right, having the support of reason or law; correct:
It pays to be stubborn when one is in the right.
58.
right and left, on every side; in all directions:
throwing his clothes right and left; members resigning right and left.
59.
right away / off, without hesitation; immediately:
She made a good impression right off.
60.
right on, Slang. exactly right; precisely.
61.
too right, Australian Slang.
  1. (used as an expression of emphatic agreement.)
  2. okay: “Can we meet tonight?” “Too right.”.
62.
to rights, into proper condition or order:
to set a room to rights.
Origin of right
Middle English
Old English
900
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
Related forms
rightable, adjective
half-right, adjective, noun
unrightable, adjective
unrighted, adjective
Can be confused
right, righteous, rightful.
right, rite, wright, write.
Synonyms
1. equitable, fair, honest, lawful. 2. accurate, true. 4. fit, seemly. 5. proper. 10. obverse. 17. rightful. 21. morality, virtue, justice, fairness, integrity, equity, rectitude. 43. rightfully, lawfully, rightly, justly, fairly, equitably. 44. appropriately, suitably.
Antonyms
1–5, 10, 21. wrong.
Usage note
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 Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2015.
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Examples from the Web for right
Contemporary Examples
Historical Examples

  • Of course you realize that you have no shadow of right to interfere.

    Kent Knowles: Quahaug Joseph C. Lincoln

  • "I have not yet learned what right you have to inquire," replied the misguided maiden.

    Philothea Lydia Maria Child

  • "right's the word, ould Nebucannezzar," he cried, and heaved up to his feet.

    The Manxman Hall Caine

  • At the top was crimson, at the right hand blue, and at the left hand yellow.

    Philothea Lydia Maria Child

  • Guess no man has a right to give up his life without a kick.

    The Golden Woman Ridgwell Cullum
British Dictionary definitions for right

right

/raɪt/
adjective
1.
in accordance with accepted standards of moral or legal behaviour, justice, etc: right conduct
2.
in accordance with fact, reason, or truth; correct or true: the right answer
3.
appropriate, suitable, fitting, or proper: the right man for the job
4.
most favourable or convenient; preferred: the right time to act
5.
in a satisfactory condition; orderly: things are right again now
6.
indicating or designating the correct time: the clock is right
7.
correct in opinion or judgment
8.
sound in mind or body; healthy or sane
9.
(usually prenominal) of, designating, or located near the side of something or someone that faces east when the front is turned towards the north related adjective dextral
10.
(usually prenominal) worn on a right hand, foot, etc
11.
(sometimes capital) of, designating, supporting, belonging to, or relating to the political or intellectual right (see sense 39)
12.
(sometimes capital) conservative or reactionary: the right wing of the party
13.
(geometry)
  1. formed by or containing a line or plane perpendicular to another line or plane
  2. having the axis perpendicular to the base: a right circular cone
  3. straight: a right line
14.
relating to or designating the side of cloth worn or facing outwards
15.
(informal) (intensifier): a right idiot
16.
in one's right mind, sane
17.
(Austral & NZ, informal) she'll be right, that's all right; not to worry
18.
the right side of
  1. in favour with: you'd better stay on the right side of him
  2. younger than: she's still on the right side of fifty
adverb
19.
(Austral & NZ, informal) too right, an exclamation of agreement
20.
in accordance with correctness or truth; accurately: to guess right
21.
in the appropriate manner; properly: do it right next time!
22.
in a straight line; directly: right to the top
23.
in the direction of the east from the point of view of a person or thing facing north
24.
absolutely or completely; utterly: he went right through the floor
25.
all the way: the bus goes right to the city centre
26.
without delay; immediately or promptly: I'll be right over
27.
exactly or precisely: right here
28.
in a manner consistent with a legal or moral code; justly or righteously: do right by me
29.
in accordance with propriety; fittingly or suitably: it serves you right
30.
to good or favourable advantage; well: it all came out right in the end
31.
(esp in religious titles) most or very: right reverend
32.
(informal or dialect) (intensifier): I'm right glad to see you
33.
right, left, and centre, on all sides; from every direction
34.
(informal) right off the bat, as the first in a series; to begin with
noun
35.
any claim, title, etc, that is morally just or legally granted as allowable or due to a person: I know my rights
36.
anything that accords with the principles of legal or moral justice
37.
the fact or state of being in accordance with reason, truth, or accepted standards (esp in the phrase in the right)
38.
(Irish) an obligation or duty: you had a right to lock the door
39.
the right side, direction, position, area, or part: the right of the army, look to the right
40.
(often capital) the right, 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)
41.
(boxing)
  1. a punch with the right hand
  2. the right hand
42.
(finance)
  1. (often pl) the privilege of a company's shareholders to subscribe for new issues of the company's shares on advantageous terms
  2. the negotiable certificate signifying this privilege
43.
by right, by rights, properly; justly: by rights you should be in bed
44.
in one's own right, having a claim or title oneself rather than through marriage or other connection: a peeress in her own right
45.
to rights, consistent with justice, correctness, or orderly arrangement: he put the matter to rights
verb (mainly transitive)
46.
(also intransitive) to restore to or attain a normal, esp an upright, position: the raft righted in a few seconds
47.
to make (something) accord with truth or facts; correct
48.
to restore to an orderly state or condition; put right
49.
to make reparation for; compensate for or redress (esp in the phrase right a wrong)
sentence substitute
50.
  1. indicating that a statement has been understood
  2. asking whether a statement has been understood
  3. indicating a subdividing point within a discourse
interjection
51.
an expression of agreement or compliance
Derived Forms
righter, noun
Word Origin
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
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Word Origin and History for right
adj.

"morally correct," Old English riht "just, good, fair; proper, fitting; straight, not bent, direct, erect," from Proto-Germanic *rekhtaz (cf. Old Frisian riucht "right," Old Saxon reht, Middle Dutch and Dutch recht, Old High German reht, German recht, Old Norse rettr, Gothic raihts), from PIE root *reg- "move in a straight line," also "to rule, to lead straight, to put right" (see regal; cf. Greek orektos "stretched out, upright;" Latin rectus "straight, right;" Old Persian rasta- "straight, right," aršta- "rectitude;" Old Irish recht "law;" Welsh rhaith, Breton reiz "just, righteous, wise").

Cf. slang straight (adj.1) "honest, morally upright," and Latin rectus "right," literally "straight," Lithuanian teisus "right, true," literally "straight." Greek dikaios "just" (in the moral and legal sense) is from dike "custom." As an emphatic, meaning "you are right," it is recorded from 1580s; use as a question meaning "am I not right?" is from 1961. The sense in right whale is "justly entitled to the name." Right stuff "best human ingredients" is from 1848, popularized by Tom Wolfe's 1979 book about the first astronauts. Right of way is attested from 1767. Right angle is from late 14c.

"opposite of left," early 12c., riht, from Old English riht, which did not have this sense but meant "good, proper, fitting, straight" (see right (adj.1)). The notion is of the right hand as the "correct" hand. The usual Old English word for this was swiþra, literally "stronger." "The history of words for 'right' and 'left' shows that they were used primarily with reference to the hands" [Buck]. Cf. similar sense evolution in Dutch recht, German recht "right (not left)," from Old High German reht, which meant only "straight, just."

The usual PIE root (*dek-) is represented by Latin dexter (see dexterity). Other derivations on a similar pattern to English right are French droit, from Latin directus "straight;" Lithuanian labas, literally "good;" and Slavic words (Bohemian pravy, Polish prawy, Russian pravyj) from Old Church Slavonic pravu, literally "straight," from PIE *pro-, from root *per- (1) "forward, through" (see per).

The political sense of "conservative" is first recorded 1794 (adj.), 1825 (n.), a translation of French Droit "the Right, Conservative Party" in the French National Assembly (1789; see left (adj.)).

v.

Old English rihtan "to straighten, rule, set up, set right, amend; guide, govern; restore, replace," from riht (adj.); see right (adj.1). Cf. Old Norse retta "to straighten," Old Saxon rihtian, Old Frisian riuchta, German richten, Gothic garaihtjan. Related: Righted; righting.

n.

Old English riht (West Saxon, Kentish), reht (Anglian), "that which is morally right, duty, obligation," also "rule of conduct; law of a land;" also "what someone deserves; a just claim, what is due; correctness, truth; a legal entitlement, a privilege," from the root of right (adj.1). Meaning "the right" (as opposed to the left) is from mid-13c.; political use from 1825. From early 14c. as "a right action, a good deed." Meaning "a blow with the right fist" is from 1898. The phrase to rights "at once, straightway" is 1660s, from sense "in a proper manner" (Middle English).

adv.

Old English rehte, rihte "in a straight or direct manner," from right (adj.1). Right on! as an exclamation of approval first recorded 1925 in black slang, popularized mid-1960s by Black Panther movement.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang definitions & phrases for right

right

adjective

Reliable; safe: He assured them his partner was all right (1856+)

affirmation

Yes; correct: Did you say left? Right! (1588+) question Am I not right? CAPEESH, ok: He's in charge, right? (1961+)

Related Terms

all right, all right already, dead to rights, fly right, hang a right

Right

Related Terms

mister right

The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.
Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.
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Idioms and Phrases with right

right

also see:
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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