Definition of right

What does the word right mean?

• part of speech: adjective

  (Archaic) straight (now only in r. line, r.-lined); (of angle) neither acute nor obtuse, of 90, made by lines meeting not obliquely but perpendicularly, (at r. angles, turning or placed with such angle), whence right-angled a.; involving r. angle (s), not oblique, (r. sailing, due N., S., E., or W.; r. ASCENSION; r. cone, cylinder, prism, &c., with ends or base perpendicular to axis); (of conduct &c.) just, morally good, required by equity or duty, proper, (acted a r. part; it is only r. to tell you, that you should know). whence right-minded a., right-mindedness n.; correct, true, (r. use of words; did not give a r. account of the matter; your opinions are r. enough); the preferable or most suitable, the less wrong or not wrong, (which is the r. way to-?; the r. man in the r. place; does not do it the r. way; the r. heir; cf. Mr, Miss, R., destined husband, wife; took the r. way to offend us; a fault on the r. side; the r. side of a fabric &c., that meant for show or use; so r. side up; on the r. side of forty &c., not yet 40 years old); in good or normal condition, sound, sane, satisfactory, well-advised, not mistaken, (in one\'s r. mind, not mad &c.; is not r. in his head; are you r. now?, comfortable, recovered, &c., alls r. with the world; is as r. as a trivet, as rain, &c., quite; set or put r., restore to order, health, &c., also correct mistaken ideas of, also justify oneself usu. with person; get r., bring or come into r. state; r., r. you are, forms of approval, or, & so also all r., r. oh! slang, of assent to order or proposal, whence righten v.t. (rare); (archaic) rightful, real, veritable, properly so called, (r. WHALE; r. cognac &c.); (of position) having the relation to front& back that equinoctial sunrise has to north& south, on or towards that side of human body of which the hand is normally more used, on or to wards that part of an object which is analogous to persons r. side or (with opposite sense) which is nearer to spectators r. hand, (cf. LEFT; r. side, eye, &c.; r. wing or flank of army &c.; r. bank, on r. side of one looking down stream; r. CENTRE. R. & left: adv., to or on both sides, on all hands, as the crowd divided, he was abused, r. & l.; adj., with or of or to both hands or sides, as a r.-&-l. shot, with both barrels, r.-&-l. screw, with contrary threads at two ends; n., r.-&-l. shot, also pugilists two blows in quick succession with different hands. R. hand: hand of r. side; this as the better hand, as put one\'s r. h. to the work; this w. ref. to hand-shaking, as give the r. h. of fellowship; region or direction on this side of person, as at, on, to, one\'s r. h.; one\'s indispensable or chief assistant; r.-h, placed on the r. h.; r.-h. man, soldier on one\'s r. h. in line, also assistant as above; r.-h. screw, with thread turning to r.; r.-handed, using r. h. more than left; r. -handed blow &c., struck with r. h.; r.-handed tool &c., made to suit r. h.; r.-handed rotation &c.; r. -hander, r.-handed blow or person. R. turn, into position at r. angles with original one; r.-about turn or face, r. turn prolonged till previous rear is front; r.-about, = r.-a. turn, reversal of front, hurried retreat as in sent to the r.-a., send packing, also as v.t. & i. = reverse or make reverse front); hence rightness n. (Vb) restore to proper or straight or vertical position (r. helm, put it amidships; boat rights herself; could not r. the boat, car; r. oneself, recover balance). (of ship) recover vertical position; make reparation for or to, avenge, (wrong, wronged person); vindicate, justify, rehabilitate; correct (mistakes &c.), correct mistakes in, set in order, (often refl., as that is a fault that will r. itself); hence rightable a. (N.) what is just, fair treatment, (r. & might, r. & wrong; do one r., treat or think of him fairly; by r. or now usu. rr., if r. were done; the r., the juster cause, as God defend the r.; be in the r., have justice or truth on one\'s side); justification, fair claim, being entitled to privilege or immunity, thing one is entitled to, (has a, the, no, r. to thing, to do, of doing, of search &c.; r. divine or DIVINE r.; claims in r. of his wife; reigns by r. of worth; belongs to him of or by r.; rr. & duties; womans rr., of equality with men, whence woman\'s righter n.; r. of way, r. established by usage to pass over anothers ground, also path subject to such r.; Declaration or Bill of Rr., constitutional settlement of 1689; assert or stand on one\'s rr., refuse to relinquish them; peeress in her own r., not by marriage; admiration is her r.), whence rightless a.; (pl.) r. condition, true state, (set or put to rr., arrange properly; have not heard, do not know, the rr. of the case); r.-hand part or region or direction (is on your or the, to the, r.; to, from, r. & left; work round the enemys r.), (Pol.) reactionary or conservative members of foreign parliament &c., whence rightward a. & adv., rightwards adv., (rare). (Adv.) straight (wind was r. behind us; go r. on; went r. at him; r. off, away, chiefly United States, immediately, without pause); all the way to, round, &c., completely off, out, &c., (sank r. to the bottom; veranda r. round house; took gate r. off hinges; turned r. round); exactly, quite, (r. in the middle); very, to the full, (know r. well; banqueted r. royally; was r. glad to hear; r. HONOURABLE, REVEREND; r.-down, thorough, -ly, as is a r.-d. scoundrel, was r.-d. sorry); justly, properly, correctly, aright, truly, satisfactorily, (whether they act r. or wrong; does not hold his pen, do the sum, r.; serves him r., is no worse than he deserves; nothing goes r. with me; if I remember r.; guessed r.); to r. hand (eyes r.!, order to soldiers dressing; looks neither r. nor left). [old English]