Word family noun right rightness rights righteousness adjective right righteous rightful verb right adverb right rightly rightfully righeously righteousness
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrightright1 /raɪt/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective 1 true/correct a) CORRECTa statement or piece of information that is right is correct and based on true facts SYN correct OPP wrong Yes, that’s the right answer. Is that the right time? I got most of the questions right. His ideas have now been proved right. b) [not before noun] if you are right, you have said something that is correct and based on true facts OPP wrong I think you’re right. We should have set out earlier.right about You were right about the hotel being too crowded. I think the prime minister is only half right. Am I right in thinking that you two have met before?2 suitableSUITABLE the right thing, person, method etc is the one that is most suitable or effective OPP wrong I think you’ve made the right decision. I think she’s definitely the right person for the job.right for A huge development like this isn’t right for such a small village.► see thesaurus at suitable3 side [only before noun] a) HBHSIDEyour right side is the side with the hand that most people write with OPP left He had a knife in his right hand. a scar on the right side of her face b) HBHSIDEon the same side of something as your right side OPP left Take the next right turn. the right bank of the river4 problemsCORRECT something that is not right is not in the state it should be in The engine’s not quite right. This cheese doesn’t smell right. Things haven’t been right between me and James for some time.put/set something right (=correct something) It didn’t take long to find the fault and put it right.5 morallyGOOD/MORAL if someone is right to do something, their action is morally correct or sensible OPP wrongright to do something Do you think I was right to report them to the police? It can’t be right to keep lying to your family.it is right that I think it’s right that the people who work hardest should earn the most. It’s only right (=completely right) that he should get his share of the money. The company wants to do the right thing and offer compensation to all the injured workers. 6 → that’s right7 → right you are8 emphasis [only before noun] British English spokenBAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONSBAD PERSON used to emphasize how bad someone or something is SYN total, complete He sounds like a right idiot! The house was in a right mess when we got back.9 health spokenHEALTHY if you are not feeling right, you are not feeling completely well I haven’t been feeling right all day. A few days in bed will soon put you right. You’ll soon be as right as rain (=completely healthy). → put somebody right/straight at put(9)10 sociallyBEST the right people, places, schools etc are considered to be the best or most important Sonia’s always careful to be seen with the right people.11 → be in the right place at the right time —rightness noun [uncountable] He was convinced of the rightness of his cause. → put something right at put(8)COLLOCATIONSadverbsquite right (=completely right)You were quite right – we should never have gone with them.absolutely rightYou’re absolutely right.exactly rightMy figures may not be exactly right.dead right informal (=completely correct, used for emphasis)You were dead right not to trust him.half/partly right (=correct to some degree, but not completely)That theory may still be partly right.verbsget something rightFor once, he got my name right.be proved rightWe warned that it would not work, and we have been proved right.be right in saying/thinking etcI think I’m right in saying they once employed 2000 people. THESAURUSright not wrong – used about something someone says, or about the person who says itthe right answerYou were right about the colour.‘He’s about thirty, isn’t he?’ ‘That’s right.’correct right. Correct sounds more formal than rightthe correct answerHe is absolutely correct.Unfortunately, this information is not correct.accurate right – used about information, measurements, descriptions etcMake sure that your measurements are accurate.an accurate description of the suspectexact an exact number, amount, or time is completely correct, and is no more and no less than it should beThe exact time is 9.28 a.m.The exact weight of the baby was 3.3 kilos.spot-on British English spoken informal exactly right – used especially about guesses or things people sayHis answer was spot-on.You’re spot-on. Examples from the Corpus
right• "Your mother's a teacher, isn't she?" "Yes, that's right."• He's the drummer for that band, right?• When staff at the hospital realised their mistake they quickly brought out the right baby.• Chris tore a ligament in his right elbow.• It's a good school, but it wasn't really right for Melissa.• No, that's not quite right. Lower the left hand corner of the painting just a little more.• It is irrelevant to the Purchaser whether or not the Vendors know the warranties are right or wrong so long as they accept the risk.• If you don't push the buttons in the right order, nothing will happen.• Put the words in the right order to make a sentence.• I wanted to make sure I was getting involved with the right people.• No modem detected: Is your modem installed, plugged into the right port, and switched on?• A color picture of her takes up the right side of the card.• It's only right that parents should help their children.• I took a pay cut to come here, but I'm sure it was the right thing to do.• Do the right thing - turn off the TV and get the kids playing outside.• I only want to do the right thing.• Is that the right time?• It's not right to tell lies.• The right training, the right arms, everything that's coming to the surface now.• Rich made a right turn into the parking lot.• And they're right up to a point.• Excuse me, but the bill isn't right - we didn't have a Caesar salad.• I don't know the right word to describe it.• Ben struggled to find the right words.right in thinking that• Pardon their asking, they said, but were they right in thinking that he was the celebrated Blondel?• I'd been right in thinking that he wasn't seriously hurt, and they soon had him well again.• President Reagan is probably right in thinking that private companies could introduce innovations to what has become rather a moribund operation.• You are right in thinking that such products are carbohydrate sources too.right person• So how do you select the right person?• For all her efficiency, her intelligence, her appropriate education, she wasn't the right person for the job.• Are you the right person for this position?• An officer who deals with adults every day is not the right person to deal with teenagers.• The patients' rights person was present, but was not given much of a chance to say anything.• Someday, just the right person will come along for this high-voltage sweetheart.• The right person will have experience of the service, an in-depth knowledge of nursing and communication skills. right side• A boy called Red, the crew chief for this ship, helped me strap in on the right side.• No stitching is visible from the right side.• Slip stitch is also a textured stitch where the purl side is the right side.• There is a war on, Britain is fighting on the right side.• Tuck and slip are both textured stitches, where usually the purl side is the right side.• They dashed from the left side, circled around the right side, charged straight up the middle.• Similarly, messages from the left-hand field of vision of both eyes are transmitted to the right side of the brain.• When the neurologist repeated the test on the right side, the patient saw that hand normally as well.do the right thing• As adults we have active consciences which help us do the right thing.• It addresses the question whether it would in fact pay us to do the right thing.• It can change the climate enough to give people elbow room to do the right things.• We gently persuaded them to do the right thing and come back to face the music.• But again, I do the right thing and hold the door for the guy.• People are much more likely to do the right thing if they can see some personal advantage to it.• I thought I was doing the right thing, trying to do the right thing.• To do the right thing was all.as right as rain• He then closed it and felt as right as rain. rightright2 ●●● S1 W1 adverb 1 exactlyEXACT exactly in a particular position or placeright in/in front of/by etc something She was standing right in the middle of the room. There’s the house, right in front of you.right here/there I left my bags right here.► see thesaurus at exactly2 immediatelyNOW immediately and without any delay SYN straight It’s on right after the six o'clock news. I’ll phone him right away (=immediately). I could tell right off that something was wrong.right off the bat American English (=immediately, without having to think carefully) Kay answered right off the bat.3 correctlyCORRECT correctly We guessed right; they’d gone. ‘I thought you’d be cross.’ ‘You thought right!’4 well informal in a way that is good or satisfactory Everything’s going right for him at the moment. It’ll work out right in the end.5 direction/sideTURN towards the direction or side that is on the right OPP left Turn right at the crossroads. 6 → right now7 → right along/through/around etc8 → be right behind somebody9 → I’ll be right with you/right there/right back10 → be right up there (with somebody/something)11 → right, left, and centreExamples from the Corpus
right• Have I spelled your name right?• They've been punished for their crimes, and quite rightly.• Follow the track until the level bears off right.• Hey, they actually spelled my name right!• The government can't seem to do anything right.• The plane touched down right at the water's edge.• He was turning on the ball right away against veteran pitchers.• She didn't come back right away because the phone rang.• I knew right away it was national security.• He sat down right beside her.• The TV lights were shining right in his face.• He did all right in that Navy movie, whatever it was.• That hit me right in the eye!• The only thing I seem to be doing right is writing.• I got a mosquito bite right on the end of my nose.• Just as you enter town, turn right onto Main Street.• Most people can't do it right the first time.right here/there• Everything you ever dreamed of, they make it right here.• The promotion places are still wide open, but Swindon are right there.• Turn right here, and the road gradually descends to the little town of Appenzell.• Well, at least he knew, right there and then, that he had to go into hiding.• She went into labour right there and then.• But here, right here, at this moment, was what I had suspected all along.• Pressin right there, I thought every time I breathe he goin to slice me open.• We had the tar right there, just throw the old coot ill and cook him and use him for fill.right off the bat• At least not right off the bat.• I could see right off the bat that there were going to be problems. going right• We did this and things started going right.• I felt little cold shivers going right down my back.• Nothing had been going right for him.• Everything seemed to be going right in both families.• The path going right leads to River Cove - worth a detour as seals can often be seen here.• They were going right through the Hacienda at a trot.• I climb aboard Moosha and suddenly get the sensation that the express elevator is going right through the roof.• If that was so, then going right, towards the breeze, would take her deeper into the caves.rightright3 ●●● S1 W1 noun 1 allowed [countable]RIGHT/HAVE THE RIGHT TO something that you are morally, legally, or officially allowed to do or haveright of The new charter establishes the rights and duties of citizens.right to Everyone should have the right to freedom of expression.right to do something You have the right to consult a lawyer.by right The money is yours by right.within your rights (=legally or morally allowed) You would be within your rights to sue the company for negligence. → civil rights, human right2 → have a right to be angry/concerned/suspicious etc3 → have no right to do something4 → the right/somebody’s right5 → the right/the Right6 correct behaviour [uncountable]GOOD/MORAL behaviour that is morally good and correct Some kids don’t seem to know the difference between right and wrong. The protesters believe that they have right on their side.7 → rights8 → be in the right9 → by rights10 → in your own right11 → put something to rights12 → the rights and wrongs of something13 [countable] a hit made with your right hand OPP leftCOLLOCATIONSverbshave a rightPeople have a right to know the truth.violate somebody’s rights formal (=stop them doing something they have a right to do)Imprisoning the men without trial violated their rights.exercise a right formal (=do what you have a right to do)The insurance company decided not to exercise its right of appeal.deny somebody a right (=not allow them to do something they have the right to do)Women were denied the right to vote.demand a right (=ask for it firmly)We demand the same rights that other European workers enjoy.defend a right (=take action to stop a right being taken away)We should defend our right to demonstrate.uphold somebody’s rights (=defend their rights)I will uphold the rights of the people of this country.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + righthuman rights (=the rights that everyone should have)This company always operates with respect for human rights.civil rights (=the rights that every person in a society should have)As a young man, he was deeply involved in the struggle for civil rights.the civil rights movementequal rightsWomen demanded equal rights.a fundamental/basic rightThe law recognises a man’s fundamental right to defend his home and his property.a legal rightBanks have the legal right to recover their money.a constitutional rightTeachers have a constitutional right to join a union.political rightsSlaves had no political rights.women’s rightsNew laws have been passed to protect women’s rights.workers’ rightsThe company’s actions are a violation of workers’ rights.gay/lesbian rightsa gay rights campaigneranimal rightsAnimal rights campaigners say the dogs are being bred in terrible conditions.phrasesa right of appeal (=the right to ask for an official decision to be changed)In these circumstances, there is no right of appeal.the right to privacy (=the right to be free from public attention)The judge decided that the media’s actions violated the couple’s right to privacy.a right of access (=the right to enter a place, use something, or see someone)You have rights of access to data held about you.a right of reply (also the right to reply) (=the right to say or write something in answer to a criticism)People should have the right of reply when a magazine has published letters criticizing them.the right to freedom of expressionEveryone has the right to freedom of expression. Examples from the Corpus
right• Leonard counters with a right to the jaw.• Undecided voters split 49 percent in favor of abortion rights, 41 percent opposed.• Free speech is a basic right in a democratic society.• She always tried to teach her children the difference between right and wrong.• Segregationist violence, arson, and murders of civil rights workers for trying to exercise constitutional rights continued unabated.• Discrimination remedies too require re-thinking and the challenge of enacting disability employment rights provides a timely opportunity to do so.• I disagree, but I respect his right to his opinion.• This was an important right, because business agents assigned the jobs.• I urged her time and again to do what's right.• Now they are trying to end our verbal and tactile rights.• Everyone the right to a good basic education.• Women all over the world fought long and hard for the right to vote.• The executive council has the right of veto over the management's policy.by right• He believes that he is entitled by right to inherit from his father, despite his father's will.• Developers were met by angry locals protesting that the land was theirs by right.right and wrong• It's the job of families to teach their children about right and wrong.• This is about right and wrong.• I was trying to think in the correct way about right and wrong as I travelled home last night.• They're only children, but they do know the difference between right and wrong.• They did prove, to Morrison's evident disgust, that Thompson and Venables had known the difference between right and wrong.• We can tell them that carjacking is not a color issue but an issue of right and wrong.• Do we naturally have a sense of right and wrong, or are we taught it?• Very strong sense of right and wrong.• We can generalise from the rights and wrongs of his account of seeing to the use of the other senses as well.• The rights and wrongs of government policy are irrelevant.• He began to look again at what was right and wrong. rightright4 ●●● S2 interjection 1 used to show that you have understood or agree with what someone has just said ‘You need to be there by ten o’clock.‘ ’Right.'2 British English used to get someone’s attention before starting to say or do something Right, open your books on page 16. Right, is everyone listening? Right, I think we’re ready to go.3 used to check if what you have said is correct So we’re meeting in the pub, right?4 used to check that the person you are speaking to is listening and understands what you are saying So I handed him the camera, right, and asked him to take our photograph.rightright5 verb [transitive] 1 → right a wrong2 SOLVE/DEAL WITH A PROBLEMto put something back into the state or situation that it should be in We must try to right the balance between taxation and government spending.3 TTWto put something, especially a boat, back into its correct upright position I finally managed to right the canoe. She righted herself and picked up her bag.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
right• He righted his spectacles which had been knocked askew and straightened his cloak.• After righting the canoe and dumping out the water on shore, I paddled the boat to pick up Mangelsdorf.• Keating promised to right the country's troubled economy.• A tow truck was called to attempt to right the trailer.From Longman Business Dictionaryrightright /raɪt/ noun1[countable] if you have the right to do something, you are morally, legally, or officially allowed to do itLike other businesses, we have a right to set competitive prices.Do regions such as Champagne have the exclusive right (=a right that only they have) to the use of their names in wine labeling?New legislation is gradually taking away workers’ rights.Your legal rights are the same when you buy mail order as when you buy from a shop.2rights (also stock rights) [plural]FINANCE rights offered to existing shareholders to buy more shares in a company, perhaps at a reduced priceThe board approved a plan to raise $30 million through a stock rights offering. → see also rights issue under issue23rights [plural]LAW if a person or company has the rights to something, they are legally allowed to use it to make moneyThey were granted the movie rights to her life story.Warner will have all distribution rights in the U.S. and Canada. → grandfather rights → moral rights → performing rights → property rights → proprietary rightsOrigin right1 Old English riht right4 Old English riht, from riht (adjective); → RIGHT1 