right

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English

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EnglishWikipediahas an article on:
Wikipedia
The fruit to the viewer'srightis larger.
Aright triangle

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Other accents and pronunciations

Etymology 1

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FromMiddle Englishright,fromOld Englishriht( “right,” also the word for “straight” and “direct” ), fromProto-Germanic*rehtaz,fromProto-Indo-European*h₃reǵtós(“having moved in a straight line”),from*h₃reǵ-(“to straighten, direct”).An Indo-European past participle, it became a Germanic adjective which has been used also as a noun since the common Germanic period. Cognate withWest Frisianrjocht,Dutchrecht,GermanrechtandRecht,Swedishrättandrät,Danishret,Norwegian Bokmålrett,Norwegian Nynorskrett,andIcelandicrétt.The Indo-European root is also the source ofAncient Greekὀρεκτός(orektós)andLatinrēctus;Albaniandrejtwas borrowed from Latin.

Adjective

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right(comparativerighterormoreright,superlativerightestorrightmost)

  1. (archaic)Straight,not bent.
    Antonyms:bowed,crooked,curved
    arightline
  2. (geometry)Of an angle, having a size of 90 degrees, or one quarter of a complete rotation; the angle between twoperpendicularlines.
    The kitchen counter formed arightanglewith the back wall.
  3. (geometry)Of a geometric figure, incorporating a right angle between edges, faces, axes, etc.
    arighttriangle  arightprism   arightcone
  4. Complying with justice, correctness, or reason;correct,just,true.See also theinterjection sensesbelow.
    Synonyms:correct,just
    Antonyms:wrong,incorrect,unjust
    That's not therightthing to do.
    So I wasrightall along?C'mon.I want to hear you say it.
    • 1610,John Locke,An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,Book II:
      If there be no prospect beyond the grave, the inference is certainlyright,"Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die."
    • 1808,BishopJoseph Hall,Devotional works:
      there are some dispositions blame-worthy in men, which are yet, in arightsense, holily ascribed unto God; as unchangeableness, and irrepentance.
    • 1841,Charles Dickens, chapter 13, inBarnaby Rudge:
      What do you send me into London for, giving me only the right to call for my dinner at the Black Lion, which you’re to pay for next time you go, as if I was not to be trusted with a few shillings? Why do you use me like this? It’s notrightof you. You can’t expect me to be quiet under it.
    • 2007March 6,Julie Rutterford,Life on Mars,Season 2, Episode 3:
      Sam Tyler:Look, look, you know when I said I wasn't wrong? Well, I was. But I wasrightabout this not being the IRA. I wasrightto follow my instincts. Like you said, go with your gut feeling. I'm just taking your lead.
      Gene Hunt:So I'mright.
      Sam Tyler:We both are.
      Gene Hunt:Right.
      Sam Tyler:Right.
      Gene Hunt:Justas long asI'm morerightthan you.
    • 2018January 4, Catherine Ford, “Religious-Based Health Care Raises Ethical Questions”,inCalgary Herald:
      But when that patient requests access to medical care that violates some religious tenet, is itrightthat he or she either be denied outright or forced to seek an alternative facility?
    • 2024January 10, Christian Wolmar, “A time for change?... just as it was back in issue 262”, inRAIL,number1000,page61:
      Of course, I was not alwaysright.I questioned the value of Crossrail (a scheme revived by Prescott after being scrapped by the Conservatives), suggesting wrongly that it may be "doomed to hit the buffers"[…].A dozen years later, I published my book on it, extolling the line's wonders. We are all allowed to change our minds.
  6. Appropriate,perfectlysuitable;fit for purpose.
    Antonym:wrong
    Is this therightsoftware for my computer?
  7. Healthy,sane,competent.
    I'm afraid my father is no longer in hisrightmind.
  8. Real; veritable (used emphatically).
    You've made arightmess of the kitchen!
    • 2016,Sarah Harvey,A Laugh-out-loud Modern Love Story:
      He's got a wicked sense of fun, he can be arightlaugh, he's ever so broadminded – ooh, and he's got a lovely broad chest too.
    • 1670,John Milton,The History of Britain:
      […]in this battle and whole business the Britons never more plainly manifested themselves to berightbarbarians: no rule, no foresight, no forecast, experience, or estimation
  9. (Australia)All right;not requiringassistance.
    Synonyms:all right,OK
    • 1986,David Williamson, “What If You Died Tomorrow”, inCollected plays,volume 1, Currency Press, page310:
      Kirsty:I suppose you're hungry. Would you like something to eat?
      Ken:No. I'mright,thanks.
    • 2001,Catherine Menagé,Access to English,National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research, NSW: Sydney, page25:
      When the sales assistant sees the customer, she asksAre youright,sir?This meansAre you all right?She wants to know if he needs any help.
    • 2001,Morris Gleitzman,Two weeks with the Queen,Pan Macmillan Australia, page75:
      'You lost?'
      Colin spun round. Looking at him was a nurse, her eyebrows raised. / 'No, I'mright,thanks,' said Colin.'
  10. (dated)Most favourable or convenient; fortunate.
    • c.1707,“Joseph Addison”,inThe Tatler:
      The lady has been disappointed on therightside.
  11. Designating the side of the body which is positioned to the east if one is facing north, the side on which theheartis not located in most humans. Thisarrowpoints to the reader's right: →
    Synonyms:right-hand,dexter,dextral
    Antonyms:left,left-hand,sinister,sinistral
    After the accident, herrightleg was slightly shorter than her left.
  12. (geography)Designating the bank of a river (etc.) on one's right when facing downstream (i.e. facing forward while floating with the current); that is, the south bank of a river that flows eastward. If this arrow: ⥴ shows the direction of the current, the tilde is on the right side of the river.
    Antonym:left
  13. Designed to be placed or wornoutward.
    therightside of a piece of cloth
  14. (politics)Pertaining to the political right;conservative.
    Synonyms:right-wing,conservative
    Antonyms:left,left-wing,liberal
Derived terms
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Terms derived fromright(adjective, direction)
Terms related toright(adjective, correct)
Terms related toright(political)
Terms related toright(others)
Descendants
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  • →Spanish:right
  • →Welsh:reit
Translations
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all right, not requiring assistance—seeall right
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Etymology 2

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FromMiddle Englishright,righte,fromOld Englishrihte,rehte(“right; rightly; due; directly; straight”),fromProto-Germanic*rehta,from*rehtaz(“right; straight”).

Adverb

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right(notcomparable)

  1. On therightside.
  2. Towards the right side.
  3. Exactly,precisely.
    The arrow landedrightin the middle of the target.
    Luckily we arrivedrightat the start of the film.
    • 1913,Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln,chapter I, inMr. Pratt’s Patients,New York, N.Y., London:D[aniel] Appleton and Company,→OCLC:
      Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand. We spent consider'ble money getting 'em reset, and then a swordfish got into the pound and tore the nets all to slathers,rightin the middle of the squiteague season.
  4. Immediately,directly.
    Can't you see it? It'srightbeside you!
    Tom was standingrightin front of the TV, blocking everyone's view.
  5. (British,US,dialect)Very,extremely,quite.
    I made arightstupid mistake there, didn't I?
    I stubbed my toe a week ago and it still hurtsrightmuch.
    • 1549,John Calvin,Of the life or conuersation of a Christen man, a right godly treatise:
      arightgodly treatise
    • 1966,Jacqueline Susann,Valley of the Dolls‎[1],page214:
      That's long enough for any small town. "Lyon leaned forward." Do you like Lawrenceville, Mr. Hill? "The driver cocked his head." Aeah. Why not? Born here. It's arightnice town
    • 2004,Jon Sharpe,Nebraska nightmare:
      Well, that would berightneighborly of you, miss.
    • 2008,Luke Cypher,Red Mesa,page101:
      But it would berightneighborly and Christian of you to put your own wants aside for a spell.
    • 2011,Ann Hite,Ghost on Black Mountain:
      The fog wasrighthard to see through so I was on Tom Pritchard before I saw him.
    • 2015,Jeff Torrington,Swing Hammer Swing!,page255:
      Kids nowadays were arightthrillproof bunch. The Armoury Section had, unexpectedly, proved to be a real moodclunker.
  6. According to fact or truth;actually;truly;really.
  7. In acorrectmanner.
    Do itrightor don't do it at all.
  8. (dated,still used in some titles)To a great extent or degree.
    Sir, I amrightglad to meet you…
    Members of the Queen's Privy Council are styled TheRightHonourable for life.
    TheRightReverend Monsignor Guido Sarducci.
Usage notes
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  • In the US, the word "right" is used as an adverb meaning "very, quite" in most of the major dialect areas, including the Southern US, Appalachia, New England,and the Midwest, though the usage is not part of standard US English. In the UK also it is not part of the standard language but is regarded as stereotypical of the dialects of northern England, though it occurs in other dialects also.
Quotations
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Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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Interjection

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right

  2. Yes, that iscorrect;Iagree.
    • 2007March 6,Julie Rutterford,Life on Mars,Season 2, Episode 3:
      Sam Tyler:Look, look, you know when I said I wasn't wrong? Well, I was. But I was right about this not being the IRA. I was right to follow my instincts. Like you said, go with your gut feeling. I'm just taking your lead.
      Gene Hunt:So I'm right.
      Sam Tyler:We both are.
      Gene Hunt:Right.
      Sam Tyler:Right.
      Gene Hunt:Justas long asI'm more right than you.
    • 2016,VOA Learning English(public domain)
      Tell her you’re here.
      Right.Thanks, Pete.
      Audio(US):(file)
    — United's the best team in the country.
    —Right.And they'll go all the way for sure.
    — Damnrightthey will.
  4. I have listened to what you just said and I acknowledge your assertion or opinion, regardless of whether I agree with it (opinion) or can verify it (assertion).
    • 2007March 6,Julie Rutterford,Life on Mars,Season 2, Episode 3:
      Sam Tyler:Look, look, you know when I said I wasn't wrong? Well, I was. But I was right about this not being the IRA. I was right to follow my instincts. Like you said, go with your gut feeling. I'm just taking your lead.
      Gene Hunt:So I'm right.
      Sam Tyler:We both are.
      Gene Hunt:Right.
      Sam Tyler:Right.
      Gene Hunt:Justas long asI'm more right than you.
    — United's the best team in the country, so they'll come up with something.
    —Right.And do you think they'll go all the way?
  6. Signpostword to change the subject in adiscussionordiscourse.
    — After that interview, I don't think we should hire her.
    —Right.Who wants lunch?
  8. Used to check listener engagement and (especially) agreement at the end of an utterance or each segment thereof.
    You're going,right?
    I went downstairs,right,and I was going to call her, but I found this note,right,so what am I supposed to do now?
  9. Used to add seriousness or decisiveness before a statement.
Usage notes
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  • Thepolysemicambiguity, regarding the senses of (1) affirming agreement and (2) acknowledging an utterance independently of agreement, sometimes functionspolitelyas asocial lubricant,avoiding anysarcasticconnotation thatOKmight easily imply; the degree of clarity is sufficient in contexts where getting to the bottom of who agrees or disagrees is superfluous to the purpose of the conversation.
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 3

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FromMiddle Englishright,righte,reght,reghte,riȝt,riȝte,fromOld Englishriht,reht,ġeriht(“that which is right, just, or proper; a right; due; law; canon; rule; direction; justice; equity; standard”),fromProto-West Germanic*reht,fromProto-Germanic*rehtą(“a right”),fromProto-Indo-European*h₃reǵtom,fromProto-Indo-European*h₃reǵt-(“to straighten; direct”).Cognate withDutchrecht(“a right; privilege”),GermanRecht(“a right”),Danishret(“a right”).

Noun

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EnglishWikipediahas an article on:
Wikipedia

right(pluralrights)

  1. That which complies withjustice,laworreason.
    We're on the side ofrightin this contest.
    • 1973July 22 [1973 July 17],Kai-shek Chiang,“President Chiang Kai-shek's message to the mass rally supporting Captive Nations Week”, inFree China Weekly‎[2],volume XIV, number28,Taipei,→ISSN,→OCLC,page 1:
      Throughout our history, whenever evil forces prevailed, the altruistic and upright people have always shown their great wisdom by adhering to therightagainst the wrong, renouncing wrongful gain for justice, displaying their great benevolence in national salvation and summoning their great courage to surmount the crisis and turn back the perverse tide.
  3. A legal, just or moralentitlement.
    You have norightto go through my personal diary.
    • 1825,Samuel Taylor Coleridge,Table Talk:
      There are norightswhatever, without corresponding duties.
    • 1850,T. S. Arthur,“Seed Time and Harvest”, inSketches of Life and Character‎[3],Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley,→OCLC,page130:
      "I do not know that you have anyrightto inquire into reasons for my conduct. I am at least sure that I never gave you any suchright,"replied Wiley.
      "I claim norightbut the commonrightof humanity, "said the old gentleman." If you do not acknowledge that, my interference in this matter can only be viewed as impertinent. "
    • 1922,Michael Arlen,“3/19/2”,in“Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
      Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishingrightswith the house ; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something ; one generally, however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall.
    • 2013August 10, Schumpeter, “Cronies and capitols”,inThe Economist,volume408,number8848:
      Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have everyrightto lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector.
  4. The right side or direction.
    The pharmacy is just on therightpast the bookshop.
  5. The right hand or fist.
    • 1897,Bram Stoker,Dracula,published1993,page129:
      "Before he could strike again, however, I got in myright,and he was sprawling on his back on the floor. "
  7. (politics)Theensembleof right-wingpoliticalparties; politicalconservativesas a group.
    The politicalrightholds too much power.
    • 2023May 31, Nigel Harris, “Comment: GBR now! We have no Plan B”, inRAIL,number984,page 3:
      Sunak seems so scared of his party's swivel-eyed right wing that he has been panicked into focusing all new legislation on perceived 'red meat' issues which he hopes the Toryrightwill support.
  8. The outward or most finished surface, as of a coin, piece of cloth, a carpet, etc.
    Synonym:(of fabric)right side
    • 1890,The Woman's World,page434:
      Simple cross-stitch, with a space between each stitch, may be worked in two rows, in which case the completed stitch on the wrong sides alternates with that on theright.
    • 1913,Woman's Home Companion - Volume 40,page40:
      For the large size, two pieces of silk, eighteen inches wide and twenty-seven inches long, are sewed together at three sides,rightstogether, leaving one end open.
    • 1918,Pacific Rural Press - Volume 95,page392:
      In case there is a right and wrong side to the tops, put tworightstogether.
  9. (surfing)Awavebreaking from right to left (viewed from the shore).
    Antonym:left
Synonyms
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Antonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 4

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FromMiddle Englishrighten,reghten,riȝten,fromOld Englishrihtan,ġerihtan(“to straighten, judge, set upright, set right”),fromProto-West Germanic*rihtijan,fromProto-Germanic*rihtijaną(“to straighten; rectify; judge”).

Verb

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right(third-person singular simple presentrights,present participlerighting,simple past and past participlerighted)

  1. (transitive)Tocorrect.
    Rightingall the wrongs of the war immediately will be impossible.
  2. (transitive)To setupright.
    The tow-truckrightedwhat was left of the automobile.
  3. (intransitive)To return to normal upright position.
    When the wind died down, the shiprighted.
  4. (transitive)To do justice to; torelievefrom wrong; torestorerights to; toassertorregainthe rights of.
    torightthe oppressed
    • c.1593(date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third:[…]”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,(please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
      So just is God, torightthe innocent.
    • 1776,Thomas Jefferson, John Adams,Declaration of Independence:
      All experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable, than torightthemselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
Derived terms
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Translations
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Further reading

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Anagrams

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Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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FromOld Englishriht.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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right(pluralrightes)

  1. Agooddeed;arightaction.
  2. Ajustor equitable action.
  3. Alaw,ruling,judgementorrule.
  4. Aright,entitlementorprivilege.
  5. Truth,correctness.
  6. right (direction; as opposed to the left)

Descendants

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References

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Adjective

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right(plural and weak singularrighte,comparativerightre,superlativerightest)

  1. Straight;not crooked orbent.
  2. On the or at theright(as opposed to left)
  3. Morally orlegallycorrect or justified.
  4. Real,genuine,authentic,true.
  5. Natural,undisturbed.
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Descendants

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References

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Spanish

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Etymology

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Unadapted borrowingfromEnglishright fielder.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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rightm(pluralrights)

  1. (baseball)right fielder

Usage notes

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  • According toRoyal Spanish Academy(RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.
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