in accordance with what is good, proper, or just: right conduct.
in conformity with fact, reason, truth, or some standard or principle; correct: the right solution; the right answer.
correct in judgment, opinion, or action.
fitting or appropriate; suitable: to say the right thing at the right time.
most convenient, desirable, or favorable: Omaha is the right location for a meatpacking firm.
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).
in a satisfactory state; in good order: to put things right.
sound, sane, or normal: to be in one's right mind; She wasn't right in her head when she made the will.
in good health or spirits: I don't feel quite right today.
principal, front, or upper: the right side of cloth.
(often initial capital letter) of or relating to political conservatives or their beliefs.
socially approved, desirable, or influential: to go to the right schools and know the right people.
formed by or with reference to a perpendicular: a right angle.
straight: a right line.
Geometry. having an axis perpendicular to the base: a right cone.
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.
genuine; authentic: the right owner.
noun
a just claim or title, whether legal, prescriptive, or moral: You have a right to say what you please.
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.
adherence or obedience to moral and legal principles and authority.
that which is morally, legally, or ethically proper: to know right from wrong.
a moral, ethical, or legal principle considered as an underlying cause of truth, justice, morality, or ethics.
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.
the property itself or its value.
Finance.
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.
Often rights .the privilege of subscribing to a specified amount of a stock or bond issue, or the document certifying this privilege.
that which is in accord with fact, reason, propriety, the correct way of thinking, etc.
the state or quality or an instance of being correct.
the side that is normally opposite to that where the heart is; the direction toward that side: to turn to the right.
a right-hand turn: Make a right at the top of the hill.
the portion toward the right, as of troops in battle formation: Our right crumbled.
(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?
the right hand: Jab with your left and punch with your right.
the Right,
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.
the position held by these people: The Depression led to a movement away from the Right.
right wing.
Compare left1 (defs. 6a, b), left wing.
Usually Right . 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.
the members of such an assembly who sit on the Right.
Boxing. a blow delivered by the right hand: a right to the jaw.
Baseball. right field.
adverb
in a straight or direct line; straight; directly: right to the bottom; to come right home.
quite or completely; all the way: My hat was knocked right off.
immediately; promptly: right after dinner.
exactly; precisely: right here.
correctly or accurately: to guess right.
uprightly or righteously: to obey one's conscience and live right.
properly or fittingly: to behave right.
advantageously, favorably, or well: to turn out right.
toward the right hand; on or to the right: to keep right;to turn right.
Archaicor Dialect. very; extremely: a right fine day.
very (used in certain titles): the right reverend.
verb (used with object),right·ed,right·ing.
to put in or restore to an upright position: to right a fallen lamp.
to put in proper order, condition, or relationship: to right a crookedly hung picture.
to bring into conformity with fact; correct: to right one's point of view.
to do justice to; avenge: to be righted in court.
to redress, as a wrong.
verb (used without object),right·ed,right·ing.
to resume an upright or the proper position: After the storm the saplings righted.
Idioms for right
by rights, in fairness; justly: You should by rights have been asked your opinion on the matter.
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.
in the right, having the support of reason or law; correct: It pays to be stubborn when one is in the right.
right and left, on every side; in all directions: throwing his clothes right and left; members resigning right and left.
right away / off, without hesitation; immediately: She made a good impression right off.
right on, Slang. exactly right; precisely.
too right, AustralianSlang.
(used as an expression of emphatic agreement.)
okay: “Can we meet tonight?” “Too right.”
to rights, into proper condition or order: to set a room to rights.
Origin of right
First recorded before 900; (noun and adjective) 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”; (verb) Middle English righten, Old English rihtan, cognate with Old Frisian riuchta, German richten, Old Norse rētta; (adverb) Middle English; Old English rihte
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.
Many iPhone owners are seeing a strange orange dot appearing from time to time in the top right corner of their screen.
iPhone’s new ‘orange dot’ feature warns you when an app is listening|Jeff|September 17, 2020|Fortune
Ajami says that, right now, officials can’t do much while the fires are still ongoing.
California wildfires may give way to massive mudslides|Ula Chrobak|September 17, 2020|Popular Science
What I have found is likely no surprise, and why I believe this is the most important conversation happening right now, and in the near future with Digital Marketing.
This decade’s most important marketing question: What data rights do advertisers possess?|Kirk Williams|September 17, 2020|Search Engine Land
It turned out to be the right move, and we only have 15 people and they are getting better, and hopefully they’re all better.
Timeline: The 124 times Trump has downplayed the coronavirus threat|Aaron Blake, JM Rieger|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
To choose the right name, we must first find the birthplace of our new epoch, which is the same thing as finding the deathplace of the Holocene.
Dawn of the Heliocene - Issue 90: Something Green|Summer Praetorius|September 16, 2020|Nautilus
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
The Muslim Cop Killed by Terrorists|Michael Daly|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Everywhere I go, ‘Hey Cartman, you must like Family Guy, right?’
Trolls and Martyrdom: Je Ne Suis Pas Charlie|Arthur Chu|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Charlie ridiculed my faith and culture and I died defending his right to do so.
The Muslim Cop Killed by Terrorists|Michael Daly|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is grandstanding for a right rarely protected unless under immediate attack.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead|Luke O’Neil|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Asserting our right to free speech is the only to ensure that 12 people did not die in vain.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Rousseau was right; he was a being apart; and the philosophers could not forgive him for his independence.
A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times|Francois Pierre Guillaume Guizot
How are we to know what is right and wrong, and what are our motives for approving and disapproving the good and the bad?
The Life of Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, Bart., K.C.S.I.|Sir Leslie Stephen
I see I shall have to explain this, although I had hoped to get right along with my story.
Houlihan's Equation|Walt Sheldon
Slowly her right hand rose above her head with its index finger extended and slowly came down to her side.
The Light in the Clearing|Irving Bacheller
It is only the Gospel which unites them, in a right manner, “by a divine art.”
Pascal|John Tulloch
British Dictionary definitions for right
right
/ (raɪt) /
adjective
in accordance with accepted standards of moral or legal behaviour, justice, etcright conduct
in accordance with fact, reason, or truth; correct or truethe right answer
appropriate, suitable, fitting, or properthe right man for the job
most favourable or convenient; preferredthe right time to act
in a satisfactory condition; orderlythings are right again now
indicating or designating the correct timethe clock is right
correct in opinion or judgment
sound in mind or body; healthy or sane
(usually prenominal)of, designating, or located near the side of something or someone that faces east when the front is turned towards the northRelated adjective: dextral
(usually prenominal)worn on a right hand, foot, etc
(sometimes capital)of, designating, supporting, belonging to, or relating to the political or intellectual right (see sense 39)
(sometimes capital)conservative or reactionarythe right wing of the party
geometry
formed by or containing a line or plane perpendicular to another line or plane
having the axis perpendicular to the basea right circular cone
straighta right line
relating to or designating the side of cloth worn or facing outwards
informal(intensifier)a right idiot
in one's right mindsane
she'll be rightAustralian and NZinformalthat's all right; not to worry
the right side of
in favour withyou'd better stay on the right side of him
younger thanshe's still on the right side of fifty
adverb
too rightAustralian and NZinformalan exclamation of agreement
in accordance with correctness or truth; accuratelyto guess right
in the appropriate manner; properlydo it right next time!
in a straight line; directlyright to the top
in the direction of the east from the point of view of a person or thing facing north
absolutely or completely; utterlyhe went right through the floor
all the waythe bus goes right to the city centre
without delay; immediately or promptlyI'll be right over
exactly or preciselyright here
in a manner consistent with a legal or moral code; justly or righteouslydo right by me
in accordance with propriety; fittingly or suitablyit serves you right
to good or favourable advantage; wellit all came out right in the end
(esp in religious titles) most or veryright reverend
informal, ordialect(intensifier)I'm right glad to see you
right, left, and centreon all sides; from every direction
right off the batinformalas the first in a series; to begin with
noun
any claim, title, etc, that is morally just or legally granted as allowable or due to a personI know my rights
anything that accords with the principles of legal or moral justice
the fact or state of being in accordance with reason, truth, or accepted standards (esp in the phrase in the right)
Irishan obligation or dutyyou had a right to lock the door
the right side, direction, position, area, or partthe right of the army; look to the right
the right(often capital)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)
boxing
a punch with the right hand
the right hand
finance
(often plural)the privilege of a company's shareholders to subscribe for new issues of the company's shares on advantageous terms
the negotiable certificate signifying this privilege
by rightorby rightsproperly; justlyby rights you should be in bed
in one's own righthaving a claim or title oneself rather than through marriage or other connectiona peeress in her own right
to rightsconsistent with justice, correctness, or orderly arrangementhe put the matter to rights
verb(mainly tr)
(also intr)to restore to or attain a normal, esp an upright, positionthe raft righted in a few seconds
to make (something) accord with truth or facts; correct
to restore to an orderly state or condition; put right
to make reparation for; compensate for or redress (esp in the phrase right a wrong)
sentence substitute
indicating that a statement has been understood
asking whether a statement has been understood
indicating a subdividing point within a discourse
interjection
an expression of agreement or compliance
Derived forms of right
righter, noun
Word Origin for right
Old English riht, reoht; related to Old High German reht, Gothic raihts, Latin rēctus
Why Do “Left” And “Right” Mean Liberal And Conservative?During election years, the words left and right often bring to mind the political spectrum than they do directions in space. But where do these associations come from?