right 1 of 4

noun

Definition of rightnext
1
as in privilege
something to which one has a just claim everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

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2
as in claim
an entitlement to something what right do you have to tell us what to do?

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3
as in justice
the practice of giving to others what is their due activists who have fought all their lives for right

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right

2 of 4

adjective

ˈrīt How to pronounce right (audio)
1
as in true
following an original exactly a modern replica of an 18th-century British warship that is right in all of its details

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2
as in real
being exactly as appears or as claimed despite the name, New York's East River is a strait and not a right river

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3
as in correct
being in agreement with the truth or a fact or a standard the obvious answer is not always the right one

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4
as in deserved
being what is called for by accepted standards of right and wrong trying to do what is right

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5
as in honorable
conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue a right woman who did not hang around waterfront bars

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6
as in linear
free from irregularities or digressions in course the first city in America laid out with broad, right avenues

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7
as in normal
having full use of one's mind and control over one's actions he hasn't been right since he suffered serious brain injury in the accident

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8
as in appropriate
meeting the requirements of a purpose or situation the right tool for the job

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right

3 of 4

adverb

1
as in just
as stated or indicated without the slightest difference stay right where you are

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2
as in straight
in a direct line or course walk right over here now

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3
as in very
to a great degree a right beautiful day we're having!

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4
as in immediately
without delay we'll leave right after dinner

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5
as in correctly
in a manner suitable for the occasion or purpose you're not dressed right for an interview with a big-time law firm

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right

4 of 4

verb

as in to better

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Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word right different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of right are accurate, correct, exact, nice, and precise. While all these words mean "conforming to fact, standard, or truth," right is close to correct but has a stronger positive emphasis on conformity to fact or truth rather than mere absence of error or fault.

the right thing to do

In what contexts can accurate take the place of right?

While in some cases nearly identical to right, accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care.

an accurate description

When is it sensible to use correct instead of right?

The synonyms correct and right are sometimes interchangeable, but correct usually implies freedom from fault or error.

correct answers
socially correct dress

When might exact be a better fit than right?

In some situations, the words exact and right are roughly equivalent. However, exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth.

exact measurements

When could nice be used to replace right?

While the synonyms nice and right are close in meaning, nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination.

makes nice distinctions

How are the words precise and exact related as synonyms of right?

Precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation.

precise calibration

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of right
Noun
Main Street lies just to the right and includes Courtney and Jose Fiscal Belli’s restaurant, Main Street Cafe. — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 The Iran ceasefire and subsequent memorandum of understanding were deeply unpopular in Israel, particularly on the right. — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Adjective
The 71-year-old pope had a portion of his right lung removed and received a diagnosis of lung cancer earlier this week. — CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 After undergoing thoracic surgery Tuesday, during which surgeons removed the lower lobe of the pope’s right lung, examination of the tissue confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, or lung cancer, according to the Vatican. — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Adverb
Some of those leaders seem right out of The Hunger Games, which featured Tucci as a vain, preening TV host. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026 Nearby is Mastro's steakhouse, and right outside is a canopy of majestic oak trees and cascading fountains. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
Just in time for Labor Day, the National Labor Relations Board can finally right some of the wrongs of the Biden administration. — Marvin E. Kaplan, Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2026 Laney-Hamilton helped right the Liberty ship in 2021 after a career-defining 2020 with the Atlanta Dream. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for right
Recent Examples of Synonyms for right
  1. privilege
  2. claim
  3. justice
  4. true
  5. real
  6. correct
  7. deserved
  8. honorable
Noun
  • Advertisement The revolution still to come At the heart of the French Revolution of 1789 was the abolition of the privileges of the aristocracy and clergy.
    — Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Ah, to be a jaded 13-year-old who’s not always aware of his privilege.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of privilege
Noun
  • The company reincorporated from Delaware to Texas in 2024, and its charter pushes shareholder claims into mandatory arbitration and limits derivative suits to investors holding at least 3% of the stock—a stake worth tens of billions of dollars.
    — Heather Occhino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Under a contributory infringement claim, all authors need to prove is that Meta facilitated transfers of their works.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of claim
Noun
  • Black men are imprisoned at more than five times the rate of white men, and a lot of commentators move straight from that number to the conclusion that the criminal justice system is racist.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The company agrees with skeptics like the NFL that justices must eventually opine on whether states and tribes should regulate its sports event contracts as sports bets, a Supreme Court litigator working with Kalshi told Semafor.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of justice
Adjective
  • An invite-only Rocket Variant replaces standard features with a single-seat configuration and perimeter thrusters for true flight, rendering it non-road-legal.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The counter-argument that these groups already get the same knowledge from Iran, which gets it from China, Russia, and North Korea, is largely true.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of true
Adjective
  • While these tracks are endearing enough, Way Dynamic’s real magic sits at the juncture of folk and forlornness, when Young’s guitar is allowed to ramble and his regrets are sharp enough to bruise.
    — Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
  • These reactive oxygen species, or ROS, can do real damage to mitochondria, cells and organs.
    — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of real
Adjective
  • All signs were pointing to a simple typographical error, where Nature had printed 1841 instead of the correct year of 1848.
    — Mike McRae October 15, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Ashby though, wearing the correct uniform, got Ohtani to strike out on three pitches, and Mookie Betts to ground out to shortstop to end the inning.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of correct
Adjective
  • Carter Faith has an outside, but critically deserved, chance to join them.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The question is whether Google — a company with a deserved reputation for giving up when the going gets tough — has the commitment to see this through and turn things around.
    — Dominic Preston, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of deserved
Adjective
  • Central to the exhibition is the tension between the honorable and the immoral, the appealing and the revolting.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Dealing with the British, his Tenzing is scrupulous and honorable, but don’t confuse that with subservience.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of honorable

Phrases Containing right

Browse Nearby Words

rigging (up)
right
right and left
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Cite this Entry

“Right.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/right. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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