right

Definition of right

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) enPR: rīt, IPA: /ɹaɪt/, SAMPA: /r\aIt/
• Audio (US) ^[?]
• Rhymes: -aɪt
• Homophones: rite, wright, Wright, write

Etymology 1

Old English riht, from Germanic *rekhtaz, from Indo-European *reg-to- ‘having moved in a straight line'. 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 Dutch recht, German recht/Recht, Swedish rätt, and Norwegian rett. The Indo-European root is also the source of Greek ὀρεκτός, Latin rectus and the Sanskrit ṛtá (ऋत)

Adjective

right (comparative righter, superlative rightest)

1. (archaic) Straight, not bent.
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.
   
   
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. 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 slighly shorter than her left.
   
   
7. (archaic, sometimes used in titles) To a great extent or degree.
   
   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
   
   
8. (Politics) Pertaining to the political right; conservative.

Synonyms

• correct, just
• conservative, right-wing
• starboard

Antonyms

• left, bowed, crooked, curved, wrong

Interjection

right

1. Yes. Correct. I agree.
2. Yes. I agree with whatever you say. I have no opinion.
3. Signpost word used to change the subject in a discussion or discourse.

Derived terms

• yeah right

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 talk to me like that!
   
   
3. The right side or direction.
   
   The pharmacy is just on the right past the bookshop.
   
   
4. (Politics) The ensemble of right-wing political parties; political conservatives as a group.
   
   The political right holds too much power.

Etymology 2

Old English rihtan ("to straighten, judge, set upright, set right"), from riht, from the same ultimate source as Etymology 1, above.

Verb

to 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.

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.
   
   
2. (British, US, Southern) 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.
   
   * Ann Hite, Ghost on Black Mountain,
   The fog was right hard to see through so I was on Tom Pritchard before I saw him.
   
   
3. According to fact or truth; actually; truly; really

Synonyms

• exactly, just, precisely, smack dab

Derived terms

• right smart

Related terms

• downright
• upright

Anagrams

• Alphagram: ghirt
• girth
• grith

Translation of right in Malay

Adjective

correct

1. benar
2. betul

of direction

1. kanan

Interjection

something one is legally entitled to

1. hak

The right-wing politicians and parties

1. sayap kanan