rightful
/ˈrʌɪtfʊl
/ /ˈrʌɪtf(ə)l/adjective [attributive]
1Having a legitimate right to property, position, or status: the rightful owner of the jewels...
- The hoard of silver was found inside the box and Mr Manning established that he was the rightful heir to the property.
- He then thought he would do the responsible thing by trying to return the property to its rightful owner.
- Property belongs to the rightful owner, to lawfully use as he or she sees fit.
Synonyms
legal, lawful, licit, sanctioned;
real, true, proper, correct, recognized, genuine, warranted, authentic, acknowledged, approved, licensed, statutory, constitutional, valid;
Latin bona fide;
Law de jure
informal legit, kosher
1.1Legitimately claimed; fitting: they are determined to take their rightful place in a new South Africa...
- In essence, Sligo would claim its rightful place as capital of the North West.
- Taken together, this restores patients to their rightful place as the experts in their own health and genuine partners in care.
- On St. Patrick's Day, in Croke Park, the club had its rightful place in the sun.
Synonyms
deserved, well deserved, merited, earned, well earned;
due, just, right, fair, proper, fitting, appropriate, apt, suitable, reasonable
Derivatives
rightfulness
- A democracy can't exist if one political side continually denies the ability and the rightfulness of the other side to take charge of affairs.
- In other words, we are going to get into the circumstances of the rightfulness or wrongfulness of the gentleman's removal from this country in the first place.
- The whole relationship must not only demonstrate, to his mind, its necessity, but its absolute rightfulness.
Origin
Old English rihtful 'upright, righteous' (see right, -ful). The notion of ‘legitimacy’ dates from Middle English.