right whale

noun

: any of several large baleen whales (family Balaenidae and especially genus Eubalaena) that lack a dorsal fin and have very long baleen plates, an extremely large head with a V-shaped blowhole, a smooth throat, short, broad, rounded flippers, and whitish protuberances of thickened skin about the head

Illustration of right whale

Illustration of right whale

Examples of right whale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Some have said the industry needs to be monitored more closely to protect rare North Atlantic right whales, which are vulnerable to getting entangled in fishing gear. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Hunting is not the primary threat today to the Florida panther, the North Atlantic right whale or the monarch butterfly. — Timothy Randhir, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026 Boaters are being urged to keep a safe distance of at least 100 to 600 feet from humpback whales — and at least 1,500 feet from endangered North Atlantic right whales, as required by federal law. — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026 His grandfather ran across great white sharks; his father, orcas; Hubbard himself has crossed paths with pilot whales, a right whale and one of the largest leatherback turtles he's ever seen. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for right whale

Word History

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of right whale was in 1725

Rhymes for right whale

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Browse Nearby Words

rightward
right whale
right whale porpoise
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Cite this Entry

“Right whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/right%20whale. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

right whale

noun
: a large baleen whale with no fin on the back, a very large head, and small eyes near the lower part of the mouth

More from Merriam-Webster on right whale

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about right whale

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