From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishby rightsby rightsspokenFAIR used to describe what should happen if things are done fairly or correctly By rights, the house should be mine now. → right
Examples from the Corpus
by rights• But, by rights, the smaller one shouldn't exist.• Of course by rights this should fall to Edward, but for reasons best known to himself it seems he's said nothing.• He ought by rights to have died of shame at 30, or of drink at 50.• So banks hang on to business that they should by rights lose, but find it hard to win new good-quality business.• He's worked the land all his life, so by rights it's his.• It was by rights his, he said.• He was a man whom, by rights, she ought not even to like.• It winds down into winter, and yet by rights it should be barely midsummer. 