Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Right

Right

(rīt)
,
Adj.
[OE.
right
,
riht
, AS.
riht
; akin to D.
regt
, OS. & OHG.
reht
, G.
recht
, Dan.
ret
, Sw. rätt, Icel.
rettr
, Goth.
raíhts
, L.
rectus
, p. p. of
regere
to guide, rule; cf. Skr.
ṛju
straight, right. √115. Cf.
Adroit
,
Alert
,
Correct
,
Dress
,
Regular
,
Rector
,
Recto
,
Rectum
,
Regent
,
Region
,
Realm
,
Rich
,
Royal
,
Rule
.]
1.
Straight; direct; not crooked;
as, a
right
line
.
“Right as any line.”
Chaucer
2.
Upright; erect from a base; having an upright axis; not oblique;
as,
right
ascension; a
right
pyramid or cone.
3.
Conformed to the constitution of man and the will of God, or to justice and equity; not deviating from the true and just; according with truth and duty; just; true.
That which is conformable to the Supreme Rule is absolutely
right
, and is called
right
simply without relation to a special end.
Whately.
2.
Fit; suitable; proper; correct; becoming;
as, the
right
man in the
right
place; the
right
way from London to Oxford.
5.
Characterized by reality or genuineness; real; actual; not spurious.
“His right wife.”
Chaucer.
In this battle, . . . the Britons never more plainly manifested themselves to be
right
barbarians.
Milton.
6.
According with truth; passing a true judgment; conforming to fact or intent; not mistaken or wrong; not erroneous; correct;
as, this is the
right
faith
.
You are
right
, Justice, and you weigh this well.
Shakespeare
If there be no prospect beyond the grave, the inference is . . .
right
, “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.”
Locke.
7.
Most favorable or convenient; fortunate.
The lady has been disappointed on the
right
side.
Spectator.
8.
Of or pertaining to that side of the body in man on which the muscular action is usually stronger than on the other side; – opposed to left when used in reference to a part of the body;
as, the
right
side, hand, arm
. Also applied to the corresponding side of the lower animals.
Became the sovereign’s favorite, his
right
hand.
Longfellow.
☞ In designating the banks of a river, right and left are used always with reference to the position of one who is facing in the direction of the current's flow.
9.
Well placed, disposed, or adjusted; orderly; well regulated; correctly done.
10.
Designed to be placed or worn outward;
as, the
right
side of a piece of cloth
.
At right angles
,
so as to form a right angle or right angles, as when one line crosses another perpendicularly.
–
Right and left
,
in both or all directions.
[Colloq.]
–
Right and left coupling
(Pipe fitting)
,
a coupling the opposite ends of which are tapped for a right-handed screw and a left-handed screw, respectivelly.
–
Right angle
.
(a)
The angle formed by one line meeting another perpendicularly, as the angles ABD, DBC.
(b)
(Spherics)
A spherical angle included between the axes of two great circles whose planes are perpendicular to each other.
–
Right ascension
.
See under
Ascension
.
–
Right Center
(Politics)
,
those members belonging to the Center in a legislative assembly who have sympathies with the Right on political questions. See
Center
,
Noun.
, 5.
–
Right cone
,
Right cylinder
,
Right prism
,
Right pyramid
(Geom.)
,
a cone, cylinder, prism, or pyramid, the axis of which is perpendicular to the base.
–
Right line
.
See under
Line
.
–
Right sailing
(Naut.)
,
sailing on one of the four cardinal points, so as to alter a ship's latitude or its longitude, but not both.
Ham. Nav. Encyc.
–
Right sphere
(Astron. & Geol.)
,
a sphere in such a position that the equator cuts the horizon at right angles; in spherical projections, that position of the sphere in which the primitive plane coincides with the plane of the equator.
☞ Right is used elliptically for it is right, what you say is right, true.
“
Right
,” cries his lordship.
Pope.
Syn. – Straight; direct; perpendicular; upright; lawful; rightful; true; correct; just; equitable; proper; suitable; becoming.

Right

,
adv.
1.
In a right manner.
2.
In a right or straight line; directly; hence; straightway; immediately; next;
as, he stood
right
before me; it went
right
to the mark; he came
right
out; he followed
right
after the guide.
Unto Dian's temple goeth she
right
.
Chaucer.
Let thine eyes look
right
on.
Prov. iv. 25.
Right
across its track there lay,
Down in the water, a long reef of gold.
Tennyson.
3.
Exactly; just.
[Obs. or Colloq.]
Came he
right
now to sing a raven's note?
Shakespeare
4.
According to the law or will of God; conforming to the standard of truth and justice; righteously;
as, to live
right
; to judge
right
.
5.
According to any rule of art; correctly.
You with strict discipline instructed
right
.
Roscommon.
6.
According to fact or truth; actually; truly; really; correctly; exactly;
as, to tell a story
right
.
“Right at mine own cost.”
Chaucer.
Right
as it were a steed of Lumbardye.
Chaucer.
His wounds so smarted that he slept
right
naught.
Fairfax.
7.
In a great degree; very; wholly; unqualifiedly; extremely; highly;
as,
right
humble;
right
noble;
right
valiant
.
“He was not right fat”.
Chaucer.
For which I should be
right
sorry.
Tyndale.
[I] return those duties back as are
right
fit.
Shakespeare
☞ In this sense now chiefly prefixed to titles; as, right honorable; right reverend.
Right honorable
,
a title given in England to peers and peeresses, to the eldest sons and all daughters of such peers as have rank above viscounts, and to all privy councilors; also, to certain civic officers, as the lord mayor of London, of York, and of Dublin.
☞ Right is used in composition with other adverbs, as upright, downright, forthright, etc.
Right along
,
without cessation; continuously;
as, to work
right along
for several hours
.
[Colloq. U.S.]
–
Right away
, or
Right off
,
at once; straightway; without delay.
[Colloq. U.S.]
“We will . . . shut ourselves up in the office and do the work right off.”
D. Webster.

Right

,
Noun.
[AS.
right
. See
Right
,
Adj.
]
1.
That which is right or correct.
Specifically:
(a)
The straight course; adherence to duty; obedience to lawful authority, divine or human; freedom from guilt, – the opposite of moral wrong.
(b)
A true statement; freedom from error of falsehood; adherence to truth or fact.
Seldom your opinions err;
Your eyes are always in the
right
.
Prior.
(c)
A just judgment or action; that which is true or proper; justice; uprightness; integrity.
Long love to her has borne the faithful knight,
And well deserved, had fortune done him
right
.
Dryden.
2.
That to which one has a just claim.
Specifically:
(a)
That which one has a natural claim to exact.
There are no
rights
whatever, without corresponding duties.
Coleridge.
(b)
That which one has a legal or social claim to do or to exact; legal power; authority;
as, a sheriff has a
right
to arrest a criminal
.
(c)
That which justly belongs to one; that which one has a claim to possess or own; the interest or share which anyone has in a piece of property; title; claim; interest; ownership.
Born free, he sought his
right
.
Dryden.
Hast thou not
right
to all created things?
Milton.
Men have no
right
to what is not reasonable.
Burke.
(d)
Privilege or immunity granted by authority.
3.
The right side; the side opposite to the left.
Led her to the Souldan's
right
.
Spenser.
4.
In some legislative bodies of Europe (as in France), those members collectively who are conservatives or monarchists. See
Center
, 5.
5.
The outward or most finished surface, as of a piece of cloth, a carpet, etc.
At all right
,
at all points; in all respects.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
–
Bill of rights
,
a list of rights; a paper containing a declaration of rights, or the declaration itself. See under
Bill
.
–
By right
,
By rights
, or
By good rights
,
rightly; properly; correctly.

He should himself use it
by right
.
Chaucer.
I should have been a woman
by right
.
Shakespeare
–
Divine right
, or
Divine right of kings
,
a name given to the patriarchal theory of government, especially to the doctrine that no misconduct and no dispossession can forfeit the right of a monarch or his heirs to the throne, and to the obedience of the people.
–
To rights
.
(a)
In a direct line; straight.
[R.]
Woodward.
(b)
At once; directly.
[Obs. or Colloq.]
Swift.
–
To set to rights
,
To put to rights
,
to put in good order; to adjust; to regulate, as what is out of order.
–
Writ of right
(Law)
,
a writ which lay to recover lands in fee simple, unjustly withheld from the true owner.
Blackstone.

Right

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Righted
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Righting
.]
[AS.
rihtan
. See
Right
,
Adj.
]
1.
To bring or restore to the proper or natural position; to set upright; to make right or straight (that which has been wrong or crooked); to correct.
2.
To do justice to; to relieve from wrong; to restore rights to; to assert or regain the rights of;
as, to
right the oppressed
;
to right
one's self
; also, to vindicate.
So just is God, to
right
the innocent.
Shakespeare
All experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable, than to
right
themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
Jefferson.
To right a vessel
(Naut.)
,
to restore her to an upright position after careening.
–
To right the helm
(Naut.)
,
to place it in line with the keel.

Right

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To recover the proper or natural condition or position; to become upright.
2.
(Naut.)
Hence, to regain an upright position, as a ship or boat, after careening.

Webster 1828 Edition

Right

RIGHT

,
Adj.
rite. [L. rectus, from the root of rego, properly to strain or stretch, whence straight.]
Properly; strained; stretched to straightness; hence,
1.
Straight. A right line in geometry is the shortest line that can be drawn or imagined between two points. A right line may be horizontal, perpendicular, or inclined to the plane of the horizon.
2.
In morals and religion, just; equitable; accordant to the standard of truth and justice or the will of God. That alone is right in the sight of God, which is consonant to his will or law; this being the only perfect standard of truth and justice. In social and political affairs, that is right which is consonant to the laws and customs of a country, provided these laws and customs are not repugnant to the laws of God. A man's intentions may be right, though his actions may be wrong in consequence of a defect in judgment.
3.
Fit; suitable; proper; becoming. In things indifferent, or which are regulated by no positive law, that is right which is best suited to the character, occasion or purpose, or which is fitted to produce some good effect. It is right for a rich man to dress himself and his family in expensive clothing, which it would not be right for a poor man to purchase. It is right for every man to choose his own time for eating or exercise.
Right is a relative term; what may be right for one end, may be wrong for another.
4.
Lawful; as the right heir of an estate.
5.
True; not erroneous or wrong; according to fact.
If there be no prospect beyond the grave, the inference is certainly right, 'let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'
6.
Correct; passing a true judgment; not mistaken or wrong.
You are right, justice, and you weigh this well.
7.
Not left; most convenient or dextrous; as the right hand, which is generally most strong or most convenient in use.
8.
Most favorable or convenient.
The lady has been disappointed on the right side.
9.
Properly placed, disposed or adjusted; orderly; well regulated.
10.
Well performed, as an art or act.
11.
Most direct; as the right way from London to Oxford.
12.
Being on the same side as the right hand; as the right side.
13.
Being on the right hand of a person whose face is towards the mouth of a river; as the right bank of the Hudson.

RIGHT

, adv.
1.
In a right or straight line; directly.
Let thine eyes look right on. Prov. 4.
2.
According to the law or will of God, or to the standard of truth and justice; as, to judge right.
3.
According to any rule of art.
You with strict discipline instructed right.
4.
According to fact or truth; as, to tell a story right.
5.
In a great degree; very; as right humble; right noble; right valiant. [Obsolescent or inelegant.]
6.
It is prefixed to titles; as in right honorable; right reverend.

RIGHT

, is used elliptically for it is right, what you say is right, it is true, &c.
Right, cries his lordship.
On the right, on the side with the right hand.

RIGHT

, n.
1.
Conformity to the will of God, or to his law, the perfect standard of truth and justice. In the literal sense, right is a straight line of conduct, and wrong a crooked one. Right therefore is rectitude or straightness, and perfect rectitude is found only in an infinite Being and his will.
2.
Conformity to human laws, or to other human standard of truth, propriety or justice. When laws are definite, right and wrong are easily ascertained and understood. In arts, there are some principles and rules which determine what is right. In many things indifferent, or left without positive law, we are to judge what is right by fitness or propriety, by custom, civility or other circumstances.
3.
Justice; that which is due or proper; as, to do right to every man.
Long love to her has borne the faithful knight, and well deserv'd had fortune done him right.
4.
Freedom from error; conformity with truth or fact.
Seldom your opinions err, your eyes are always in the right.
5.
Just claim; legal title; ownership; the legal power of exclusive possession and enjoyment. In hereditary monarchies, a right to the throne vests in the heir on the decease of the king. A deed vests the right of possession in the purchaser of land. Right and possession are very different things. We often have occasion to demand and sue for rights not in possession.
6.
Just claim by courtesy, customs, or the principles of civility and decorum. Every man has a right to civil treatment. The magistrate has a right to respect.
7.
Just claim by sovereignty; prerogative. God, as the author of all things, has a right to govern and dispose of them at his pleasure.
8.
That which justly belongs to one.
Born free, he sought his right.
9.
Property; interest.
A subject in his prince may claim a right.
10.
Just claim; immunity; privilege. All men have a right to the secure enjoyment of life, personal safety, liberty and property. We deem the right of trial by jury invaluable, particularly in the case of crimes. Rights are natural, civil, political, religious, personal, and public.
11.
Authority; legal power. We have no right to disturb others in the enjoyment of their religious opinions.
12.
In the United States, a tract of land; or a share or proportion of property, as in a mine or manufactory.
13.
The side opposite to the left; as on the right. Look to the right.
1.
To rights, in a direct line; straight. [Unusual.]
2.
Directly; soon.
To set to rights,
To put to rights, to put into good order; to adjust; to regulate what is out of order.
Bill of rights, a list of rights; a paper containing a declaration of rights, or the declaration itself.
Writ of right, a writ which lies to recover lands in fee simple, unjustly withheld from the true owner.

RIGHT

, v.t.
1.
To do justice to; to relieve from wrong; as, to right an injured person.
2.
In seamen's language, to right a ship, is to restore her to an upright position from a careen.
To right the helm, to place it in the middle of the ship.

RIGHT

,
Verb.
I.
To rise with the masts erect, as a ship.

Definition 2024

right

right

English

Alternative forms

Adjective

right ‎(comparative righter, superlative rightest)

  1. (archaic) Straight, not bent.
    a right line
  2. Of an angle, having a size of 90 degrees, or one quarter of a complete rotation; the angle between two perpendicular lines.
    The kitchen counter formed a right angle with the back wall.
  3. Complying with justice, correctness or reason; correct, just, true.
    I thought you'd made a mistake, but it seems you were right all along.
    It's not right that one person gets all the credit for the group's work.
    • (Can we date this quote?) John Locke
      If there be no prospect beyond the grave, the inference is […] right, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die."
    • (Can we date this quote?) Bishop Joseph Hall
      […] there are some dispositions blame-worthy in men, which are yet, in a right sense, holily ascribed unto God; as unchangeableness, and irrepentance.
  4. Appropriate, perfectly suitable; fit for purpose.
    Is this the right software for my computer?
  5. Healthy, sane, competent.
    I'm afraid my father is no longer in his right mind.
  6. Real; veritable.
    You've made a right mess of the kitchen!
    • (Can we date this quote?) Milton
      In this battle, […] the Britons never more plainly manifested themselves to be right barbarians.
  7. (Australia) All right; not requiring assistance.
    • 1986 David Williamson, "What If You Died Tomorrow," Collected plays, Volume 1, Currency Press, p310
      KIRSTY: I suppose you're hungry. Would you like something to eat? / KEN: No. I'm right, thanks.
    • 2001 Catherine Menagé, Access to English, National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research, NSW: Sydney, p25
      When the sales assistant sees the customer, she asks Are you right, sir? This means Are you all right? She wants to know if he needs any help.
    • 2001 Morris Gleitzman, Two weeks with the Queen, Pan Macmillan Australia, p75
      'You lost?' / Colin spun round. Looking at him was a nurse, her eyebrows raised. / 'No, I'm right, thanks,' said Colin.'
  8. (dated) Most favourable or convenient; fortunate.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Spectator
      The lady has been disappointed on the right side.

right ‎(comparative more right, superlative rightmost)

  1. Designating the side of the body which is positioned to the east if one is facing north. This arrow points to the right: →
    After the accident, her right leg was slightly shorter than her left.
  2. Designed to be placed or worn outward.
    the right side of a piece of cloth
  3. (politics) Pertaining to the political right; conservative.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations

Adverb

right ‎(not comparable)

  1. On the right side.
  2. Towards the right side.
Translations

Interjection

right

  1. Yes, that is correct; I agree.
  2. I agree with whatever you say; I have no opinion.
  3. Signpost word to change the subject in a discussion or discourse.
    - After that interview, I don't think we should hire her.
    - Right — who wants lunch?
  4. Used to check agreement at the end of an utterance.
    You're going, right?
  5. Used to add seriousness or decisiveness before a statement.
    • 1987, Withnail and I:
      Withnail: Right ... I'm gonna do the washing up.
Translations
Derived terms

Noun

right ‎(plural rights)

  1. That which complies with justice, law or reason.
    We're on the side of right in this contest.‎
  2. A legal or moral entitlement.
    You have no right to go through my personal diary.‎
    • Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
      There are no rights whatever, without corresponding duties.
    • 1922, Michael Arlen, chapter 3/19/2, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
      Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with 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.
    • 2013 August 10, Schumpeter, “Cronies and capitols”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
      Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector.
    see also in right of
  3. The right side or direction.
    The pharmacy is just on the right past the bookshop.‎
  4. The right hand.
  5. (politics) The ensemble of right-wing political parties; political conservatives as a group.
    The political right holds too much power.‎
  6. The outward or most finished surface, as of a piece of cloth, a carpet, etc.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English righten, from Old English rihtan ‎(“to straighten, judge, set upright, set right”), from riht, from the same ultimate source as Etymology 1, above.

Verb

right ‎(third-person singular simple present rights, present participle righting, simple past and past participle righted)

  1. To correct.
    Righting all the wrongs of the war will be impossible.
  2. To set upright.
    The tow-truck righted what was left of the automobile.
  3. (intransitive) To return to normal upright position.
    When the wind died down, the ship righted.
  4. To do justice to; to relieve from wrong; to restore rights to; to assert or regain the rights of.
    to right the oppressed
    • Shakespeare
      So just is God, to right the innocent.
    • Jefferson
      All experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
Derived terms
Translations

Adverb

right ‎(not comparable)

  1. Exactly, precisely.
    The arrow landed right in the middle of the target.‎
    Luckily we arrived right at the start of the film.‎
    • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:
      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, right in the middle of the squiteague season.
  2. Immediately, directly.
    Can't you see it? It's right beside you!‎
    Tom was standing right in front of the TV, blocking everyone's view.‎
  3. (Britain, US, dialect) Very, extremely, quite.
    I made a right stupid mistake there, didn't I?‎
    I stubbed my toe a week ago and it still hurts right much.‎
    • 1966, Jacqueline Susann, Valley of the Dolls, page 214:
      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 a right nice town
    • 2004, Jon Sharpe, Nebraska nightmare:
      Well, that would be right neighborly of you, miss.
    • 2005, Linda Beaulieu, The Providence and Rhode Island Cookbook, page 63:
      A right neighborly time.
    • 2006, Lauraine Snelling, The Reapers' Song, page 286:
      “Something to eat would be right neighborly Where in tarnation are we?” “We'll be in Minneapolis in an hour or two.”
    • 2008, Luke Cypher, Red Mesa, page 101:
      But it would be right neighborly and Christian of you to put your own wants aside for a spell.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Ann Hite, Ghost on Black Mountain,
      The fog was right hard to see through so I was on Tom Pritchard before I saw him.
  4. According to fact or truth; actually; truly; really.
  5. In a correct manner.
    Do it right or don't do it at all.‎
  6. (dated, still used in some titles) To a great extent or degree.
    • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 13, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:
      He b'iled right over, and the tongue-lashing he give that boss Right Liver beat anything I ever listened to. There was heap of Scriptur' language in it, and more brimstone than you'd find in a match factory.
    Sir, I am right glad to meet you …‎
    Members of the Queen's Privy Council are styled The Right Honourable for life.‎
    The Right Reverend Monsignor Guido Sarducci.‎
Translations
Usage notes

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
  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:right.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: years · always · another · #171: right · each · between · face

Anagrams

Spanish

Noun

right m ‎(plural rights)

  1. (baseball) right fielder

Etymology

From Middle English right ‎(“right”), from Old English riht, reht ‎(“right”), from Proto-Germanic *rehtaz ‎(“right, direct”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵtós ‎(“having moved in a straight line”), from Proto-Indo-European *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 with West Frisian rjocht, Dutch recht, German recht/Recht, Swedish rätt and rät, Danish ret, Norwegian rett, and Icelandic rétt. The Indo-European root is also the source of Greek ὀρεκτός ‎(orektós) and Latin rectus; from the Latin is borrowed Albanian drejt.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) enPR: rīt, IPA(key): /ɹaɪt/
  • (US) enPR: rīt, IPA(key): /ɹaɪt/, [ɹaɪʔ(t̚)]
  • (adverb: exactly; immediately):
    (dialectal, includes Western Canada, Northern England, Midlands) IPA(key): /ɹeɪt/, [ɹeɪʔt̚]
  • Rhymes: -aɪt
  • Homophones: rite, wright, Wright, write, rate (dialectal; certain senses only)

Similar Results