right
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: enpr: rīt
ipa: /ˈɹaɪt/
ipa: [ˈɹaɪt]
ipa: [ˈɹɒɪʔ]
ipa: /ˈɹiːt/
ipa: /ˈɹeɪt/
ipa: /ˈɹiːt/
enpr: rīt
ipa: /ˈɹaɪt/
ipa: [ˈɹaɪt]
ipa: [ˈɹaɪθ̠]
ipa: [ˈɻɐʏt]
ipa: [-ʔ]
note: Dublin
ipa: /ˈɹo̞ɪ/
note: Dublin
ipa: /ˈɹəɪ/
note: Dublin
ipa: /ˈɹo̞ɪʔ/
note: Dublin
ipa: /ˈɹəɪʔ/
ipa: /ˈɹʌɪt/
note: especially Nova Scotia
ipa: /ˈɹeɪt/
note: Ottawa Valley
ipa: [ɹəi̯t]
note: Ottawa Valley
ipa: [ɹei̯t]
note: Ottawa Valley
ipa: [-ʔ]
note: Ottawa Valley
ipa: [-ɾ̥]
ipa: /ˈɹaɪt/
ipa: [ˈɹɑe̯t]
ipa: /ˈɹaɪt/
ipa: [ˈɹäːtʰ]
homophone: rite
homophone: wright
homophone: Wright
homophone: write
homophone: rate (dialectal; certain senses only)
rhymes: -aɪt
Forms: form: further right
form: farther right
form: more right
form: righter
form: furthest right
form: farthest right
form: most right
form: rightmost
form: rightest
form: ryght
form: reight
form: rite
Etymology: From Middle English right, from Old English riht, reht (“right,” also the word for “straight” and “direct”), from Proto-West Germanic *reht, from Proto-Germanic *rehtaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵtós (“having moved in a straight line”), from *h₃reǵ- (“to straighten, direct”).
The Germanic adjective which has been used also as a noun since the common Germanic period.
Cognates
Cognate with West Frisian rjocht (“right”), Dutch recht (“straight”), German recht and Recht (“right”), Luxembourgish Recht, riets (“right”), riicht (“straight”), Yiddish רעכט (rekht, “right”), Danish ret (“right”), Faroese rættur (“right”), Icelandic réttur (“right”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk rett (“right”), Swedish rätt, rät (“right”). The Indo-European root is also the source of Ancient Greek ὀρεκτός (orektós) and Latin rēctus; Albanian drejt was borrowed from Latin.
Senses: examples: text: Near-synonym: starboard
text: After the accident, her right leg was slightly shorter than her left.
synonyms: right-hand
dexter
dextral
antonyms: left
left-hand
sinister
sinistral
glosses: Designating the side of the body which is positioned to the east if one is facing north, the side on which the heart is not located in most humans. This arrow points to the reader's right: →
examples: text: The road up ahead contains a right bend.
text: Rotate the bolt to the right to tighten it.
glosses: Clockwise, particularly when describing a change in direction or orientation.
examples: text: That's not the right thing to do.
text: So I was right all along? C'mon. I want to hear you say it.
text: If there be no prospect beyond the grave, the inference is certainly right, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die."
ref: 1610, John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Book II:
text: there are some dispositions blame-worthy in men, which are yet, in a right sense, holily ascribed unto God; as unchangeableness, and irrepentance.
ref: 1808, Bishop Joseph Hall, Devotional works:
text: 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 not right of you. You can’t expect me to be quiet under it.
ref: 1841, Charles Dickens, chapter 13, in Barnaby Rudge:
text: 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: Just as long as I'm more right than you.
ref: 2007 March 6, Julie Rutterford, Life on Mars, Season 2, Episode 3:
text: But when that patient requests access to medical care that violates some religious tenet, is it right that he or she either be denied outright or forced to seek an alternative facility?
ref: 2018 January 4, Catherine Ford, “Religious-Based Health Care Raises Ethical Questions”, in Calgary Herald:
text: Of course, I was not always right. 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.
ref: 2024 January 10, Christian Wolmar, “A time for change? ... just as it was back in issue 262”, in RAIL, number 1000, page 61:
synonyms: correct
just
antonyms: wrong
incorrect
unjust
glosses: Complying with justice, correctness, or reason; correct, just, true. See also the interjection senses below.
examples: text: Is this the right software for my computer?
antonyms: wrong
glosses: Appropriate, perfectly suitable; fit for purpose.
examples: text: I'm afraid my father is no longer in his right mind.
text: “If I didn’t know the dear old fellow so well by now,” Tennington remarked to Miss Strong, “I should be quite certain that he was—er—not quite right, don’t you know.”
ref: 1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 202:
glosses: Healthy, sane, competent.
examples: text: You've made a right mess of the kitchen!
text: He's got a wicked sense of fun, he can be a right laugh, he's ever so broadminded – ooh, and he's got a lovely broad chest too.
ref: 2016, Sarah Harvey, A Laugh-out-loud Modern Love Story:
text: […]in this battle and whole business the Britons never more plainly manifested themselves to be right barbarians: no rule, no foresight, no forecast, experience, or estimation
ref: 1670, John Milton, The History of Britain:
glosses: Real; veritable (used emphatically).
examples: text: The kitchen counter formed a right angle with the back wall.
topics: geometry
mathematics
sciences
glosses: Of an angle, measuring 90 degrees, or one quarter of a complete rotation; the angle between two perpendicular lines.
examples: text: a right triangle   a right prism   a right cone
topics: geometry
mathematics
sciences
glosses: Of a geometric figure, incorporating a right angle between edges, faces, axes, etc.
examples: text: The Louvre Museum is on the right bank of the Seine.
topics: geography
natural-sciences
antonyms: left
glosses: 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.
examples: text: the right side of a piece of cloth   Begin this stitch on the right side.
antonyms: wrong
glosses: Designed to be placed or worn outward.
topics: government
politics
synonyms: right-wing
conservative
antonyms: left
left-wing
liberal
glosses: Pertaining to the political right; conservative.
examples: text: Kirsty: I suppose you're hungry. Would you like something to eat?
Ken: No. I'm right, thanks.
ref: 1986, David Williamson, “What If You Died Tomorrow”, in Collected plays, volume 1, Currency Press, page 310:
text: 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.
ref: 2001, Catherine Menagé, Access to English, National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research, NSW: Sydney, page 25:
text: 'You lost?'
Colin spun round. Looking at him was a nurse, her eyebrows raised. / 'No, I'm right, thanks,' said Colin.'
ref: 2001, Morris Gleitzman, Two weeks with the Queen, Pan Macmillan Australia, page 75:
synonyms: all right
OK
glosses: All right; not requiring assistance.
examples: text: The lady has been disappointed on the right side.
ref: c. 1707, “Joseph Addison”, in The Tatler:
glosses: Most favourable or convenient; fortunate.
examples: text: a right line
antonyms: bowed
crooked
curved
glosses: Straight, not bent.
examples: text: In the course of the day we saw several large whales of the right species, and innumerable flights of the albatross passed over the vessel.
ref: 1838, [Edgar Allan Poe], The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
glosses: Of or relating to the right whale.
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: alright
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: be right
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: flush left and right
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: flush right
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: give one's right arm
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: left-to-right
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: left-to-right assimilation
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: ragged-right
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right-about
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right and left screw
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: Right Arm of the Free World
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right ascension
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right atrium
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right back
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right bank
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right bower
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right bracket
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right brain
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right-click
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right coset
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right cross
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: rightdom
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right-drag
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right eigenvalue
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right eigenvector
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: righteous
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right exact
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right face
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right field
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right-footed
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right-footer
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right-half
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right-hand
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right-handed
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right-hander
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right hand of fellowship
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: righthood
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right ideal
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right identity
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right inverse
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right-justified
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right lane camper
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right lane hog
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right lane hogger
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right lane hugger
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right-libertarian
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right middle lobe syndrome
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: rightmost
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: rightness
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right outer join
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right shift
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right side out
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right stochastic matrix
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right-to-left
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right-to-left assimilation
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right total
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right whale dolphin
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: right wing
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: stage right
sense: Terms derived from right (adjective, direction)
word: the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: a broken clock is right twice a day
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: all right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: am I right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: am I right or am I right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: a stopped clock is right twice a day
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: back the right horse
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: be right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: can't do right for doing wrong
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: come from the right place
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: come right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: damn right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: darn right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: do right by
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: do the right thing
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: even a stopped clock is right twice a day
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: get off on the right foot
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: get right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: get right with
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: have one's head screwed on the right way
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: have one's heart in the right place
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: have the right time
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: I know that's right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: in one's right mind
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: in the right place at the right time
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: is this the right direction for
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: it's all right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: make right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: might is right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: might makes right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: not right in the head
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: on the right foot
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: on the right track
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: price is right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: push the right buttons
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: put right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: put the saddle on the right horse
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right angle
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right as a trivet
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right as ninepence
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right as rain
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right away
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right hand
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right handed
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right-hand man
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right-hearted
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right honourable
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: rightle
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: rightly
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right-minded
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right off
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right off the bat
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right of way
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: rightship
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right-shore
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right-side-out
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right side up
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: rightsize
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right stuff
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right-thinking
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right trapezoid
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right triangle
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: right you are
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: someone right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: serve someone right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: set right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: she'll be right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: sit right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: that's right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: the customer is always right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: The Right Reverend
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: too right
sense: Terms related to right (adjective, correct)
word: you're right
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: alt-right
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: centre-right
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: Christian right
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: far right
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: far-right
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: hard-right
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: Hindu right
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: Jewish right
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: Muslim right
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: New Right
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: Old Right
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: religious right
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: rightist
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: right-of-centre
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: right-on
sense: Terms related to right (political)
word: right-wing
sense: Terms related to right (others)
word: in a right state
sense: Terms related to right (others)
word: right whale