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right

RYT/ˈɹaɪt/

Noun pluralrights

33 meanings of right

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  1. 1
    correctadjective
    Correct, true or fair, the way it should be.

    Did you get the right answer on question five?

    So I was right all along?

    UsageSay you were right to do it.

    Similarcorrect, just

    Oppositewrong, incorrect, unjust

    Note
  2. 2
    describing sideadjective
    On or toward the side of your body where most people hold a pen, as in your right hand.

    I hurt my right knee playing soccer.

    Raise your right hand.

    Oppositeleft

    Note
  3. 3
    entitlementnouncountable
    Something you are allowed to have or do by law or fairness.

    You have no right to read my diary.

    Everyone has certain rights.

    UsageSay the right to do something.

    Similarentitlement, prerogative, privilege, freedom, liberty

    Note
  4. 4
    adverb
    At once, or directly with no time or space in between.

    The doctor will see you right away.

    Go right to bed after you brush your teeth.

    UsageSay I'll be right back.

    Similardirectly, immediately, straight, just

    Note
  5. 5
    adjective
    Exactly suitable for what you need or want to do.

    We waited for the right moment to tell her.

    You need the right tool for the job.

    UsageSay the right one.

    Similarappropriate, suitable, correct, proper, fitting

    Oppositewrong

  6. 6
    adverb
    Exactly, at the very place or time.

    The ball hit me right on the nose.

    The bus came right on time.

    UsageSay right here, right now.

    Similarexactly, precisely, squarely

    Note
  7. 7
    noun
    The side opposite the left, or the direction toward it.

    The bathroom is the second door on your right.

    Turn to the right at the lights.

    UsageSay on the right.

    Oppositeleft

  8. 8
    adverb
    On the right side, or in the direction of the right.

    The car drifted right and hit the curb.

    Look left and right before you cross the street.

    UsageSay turn right (not incorrect: turn to right).

    Oppositeleft

  9. 9
    check agreementinterjection
    Used at the end of a sentence to check that someone agrees or is following.

    You're going, right?

    I found this note, right, so what do I do now?

    UsagePut a comma before right?: We said eight, right?

    SimilarOK, yeah

    Note
  10. 10
    correctlyadverb
    In the way it should be done, without mistakes.

    If you tie the knot right, it won't come loose.

    I can never spell her name right.

    UsageComes after the verb or object: do it right, spell her name right.

    Similarcorrectly, properly, accurately, well

    Oppositewrong, incorrectly

    Note
  11. 11
    publishing permissionnouncountable
    The legal power to publish, film or sell a work.

    The studio bought the film rights to the novel.

    Who owns the right to broadcast the match?

    UsageUsually plural, as in film rights or translation rights.

    Similarcopyright, license

  12. 12
    conservativeadjective
    In politics, conservative, or supporting conservative parties and ideas.

    Her views are further right than her sister's.

    The new leader is further right than the last one.

    UsageSay further right.

    Similarconservative, right-wing

    Oppositeliberal, left-wing, left

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of right apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–2, 5, 12, 16, 18, 24–25, 27

From Old English riht, meaning 'right' and also 'straight' and 'direct'. It goes back to old Germanic and Indo-European roots meaning 'to straighten or direct'.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

  • English right derives from Old English riht, which meant 'right', 'straight' and 'direct'. en.wiktionary.org
  • The word has Germanic and ultimately Indo-European ancestry associated with straightening or directing. en.wikisource.org
  • The ultimate Indo-European root carries the meaning 'to straighten'. en.wiktionary.org
Meanings 4, 6, 8–10, 13, 17, 19–20, 26

From Old English rihte, meaning 'right', 'rightly', 'directly', or 'straight'.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Meanings 3, 7, 11, 14–15, 21

From Old English riht, meaning 'that which is right, just, or proper'. It comes from old Germanic and Indo-European roots meaning 'to straighten or direct'.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

  • The noun derives from Old English riht, meaning that which is right, just, or proper. en.wiktionary.org
  • Its ancestry includes Germanic forms and an Indo-European root meaning to straighten or direct. en.wiktionary.org
Meanings 22–23

From Old English rihtan, meaning 'to straighten, judge, set upright, or set right'.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts