right

—rightable, adj.

/ruyt/, adj., righter, rightest, n., adv., v.

adj.

1. in accordance with what is good, proper, or just: right conduct.

2. in conformity with fact, reason, truth, or some standard or principle; correct: the right solution; the right answer.

3. correct in judgment, opinion, or action.

4. fitting or appropriate; suitable: to say the right thing at the right time.

5. most convenient, desirable, or favorable: Omaha is the right location for a meatpacking firm.

6. of, pertaining to, or located on or near the side of a person or thing that is turned toward the east when the subject is facing north (opposed to left).

7. in a satisfactory state; in good order: to put things right.

8. sound, sane, or normal: to be in one's right mind; She wasn't right in her head when she made the will.

9. in good health or spirits: I don't feel quite right today.

10. principal, front, or upper: the right side of cloth.

11. (often cap.) of or pertaining to political conservatives or their beliefs.

12. socially approved, desirable, or influential: to go to the right schools and know the right people.

13. formed by or with reference to a perpendicular: a right angle.

14. straight: a right line.

15. Geom. having an axis perpendicular to the base: a right cone.

16. Math. pertaining to an element of a set that has a given property when placed on the right of an element or set of elements of the given set: a right identity.

17. genuine; authentic: the right owner.

18. too right, Australian Slang.

a. (used as an expression of emphatic agreement.)

b. okay: "Can we meet tonight?" "Too right."

n.

19. a just claim or title, whether legal, prescriptive, or moral: You have a right to say what you please.

20. Sometimes, rights. that which is due to anyone by just claim, legal guarantees, moral principles, etc.: women's rights; Freedom of speech is a right of all Americans.

21. adherence or obedience to moral and legal principles and authority.

22. that which is morally, legally, or ethically proper: to know right from wrong.

23. a moral, ethical, or legal principle considered as an underlying cause of truth, justice, morality, or ethics.

24. Sometimes, rights. the interest or ownership a person, group, or business has in property: He has a 50-percent right in a silver mine. The author controls the screen rights for the book.

25. the property itself or its value.

26. Finance.

a. the privilege, usually preemptive, that accrues to the owners of the stock of a corporation to subscribe to additional shares of stock or securities convertible into stock at an advantageous price.

b. Often, rights. the privilege of subscribing to a specified amount of a stock or bond issue, or the document certifying this privilege.

27. that which is in accord with fact, reason, propriety, the correct way of thinking, etc.

28. the state or quality or an instance of being correct.

29. the side that is normally opposite to that where the heart is; the direction toward that side: to turn to the right.

30. a right-hand turn: Make a right at the top of the hill.

31. the portion toward the right, as of troops in battle formation: Our right crumbled.

32. (in a pair) the member that is shaped for, used by, or situated on the right side: Is this shoe a left or a right?

33. the right hand: Jab with your left and punch with your right.

34. the Right,

a. the complex of individuals or organized groups opposing change in a liberal direction and usually advocating maintenance of the established social, political, or economic order, sometimes by authoritarian means.

b. the position held by these people: The Depression led to a movement away from the Right. Cf. left¹ (defs. 6a, b).

c. See right wing.

35. (usually cap.) the part of a legislative assembly, esp. in continental Europe, that is situated on the right side of the presiding officer and that is customarily assigned to members of the legislature who hold more conservative or reactionary views than the rest of the members.

36. the members of such an assembly who sit on the Right.

37. Boxing. a blow delivered by the right hand: a right to the jaw.

38. Baseball. See right field.

39. by rights, in fairness; justly: You should by rights have been asked your opinion on the matter.

40. in one's own right, by reason of one's own ability, ownership, etc.; in or of oneself, as independent of others: He is a rich man in his own right.

41. in the right, having the support of reason or law; correct: It pays to be stubborn when one is in the right.

42. to rights, into proper condition or order: to set a room to rights.

adv.

43. in a straight or direct line; straight; directly: right to the bottom; to come right home.

44. quite or completely; all the way: My hat was knocked right off.

45. immediately; promptly: right after dinner.

46. exactly; precisely: right here.

47. correctly or accurately: to guess right.

48. uprightly or righteously: to obey one's conscience and live right.

49. properly or fittingly: to behave right.

50. advantageously, favorably, or well: to turn out right.

51. toward the right hand; on or to the right: to keep right; to turn right.

52. Informal. very; extremely: a right fine day.

53. very (used in certain titles): the right reverend.

54. right and left, on every side; in all directions: throwing his clothes right and left; members resigning right and left.

55. right away or off, without hesitation; immediately: She made a good impression right off.

56. right on, Slang. exactly right; precisely.

v.t.

57. to put in or restore to an upright position: to right a fallen lamp.

58. to put in proper order, condition, or relationship: to right a crookedly hung picture.

59. to bring into conformity with fact; correct: to right one's point of view.

60. to do justice to; avenge: to be righted in court.

61. to redress, as a wrong.

v.i.

62. to resume an upright or the proper position: After the storm the saplings righted.

[bef. 900; (n. and adj.) ME; OE reht, riht; c. D, G recht, ON rettr, Goth raihts; akin to L rectus, OIr recht law, Gk orektós upright; (v.) ME righten, OE rihtan, c. OFris riuchta, G richten, ON retta; (adv.) ME; OE rihte]

Syn. 1. equitable, fair, honest, lawful. 2. accurate, true. 4. fit, seemly. 5. proper. 10. obverse. 17. rightful. 22. morality, virtue, justice, fairness, integrity, equity, rectitude. 48. rightfully, lawfully, rightly, justly, fairly, equitably. 49. appropriately, suitably.

Ant. 1-5, 10, 22. wrong.

Usage. 52. RIGHT in the sense of "very, extremely" is neither old-fashioned nor dialectal. It is most common in informal speech and writing: It's right cold this morning. The editor knew right well where the story had originated.

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I

Portion of the political spectrum associated with conservative political thought.

The term derives from the seating arrangement of the French revolutionary parliament (с 1790s) in which the conservative representatives sat to the presiding officer's right. In the 19th century, the term applied to conservatives who supported authority, tradition, and property. In the 20th century a divergent, radical form developed that was associated with fascism. See also left.

II

(as used in expressions)

Petition of Right

privacy right of

right whale

right to work law

riparian right

States' Rights Democrat

accused rights of the

animal rights

Bill of Rights

Civil Rights Act of 1964

civil rights movement

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

Equal Rights Amendment

gay rights movement

homosexual rights movement

GI Bill of Rights

human rights

states' rights

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Virginia Declaration of Rights

Voting Rights Act

Committee for the Defense of Legitimate Rights

Society of the Friends of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

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