by rights Definition

right
adj

1. Indicating, relating or referring to, or on, the side facing east from the point of view of someone or something facing north.
2. Said of a part of the body: on or towards the right side.

Example: She broke her right leg
3. Said of an article of clothing, etc: worn on the right hand, foot, etc.

Example: her right shoe
4a. On, towards or close to an observer's right;
4b. On a stage: on or towards the performers' right.

Example: stage right
5. Said of a river bank: on the right side of a person facing downstream.
6. Correct; true.

Example: the right answer
Thesaurus: correct, accurate, true, precise, valid, veritable, authentic, factual, exact, genuine, veracious; Antonym: invalid, wrong.
7. Said of a clock or watch: showing the correct time

Example: Is that clock right?
8. Suitable; appropriate; proper.

Example: It was the right job for him
9. Most appropriate or favourable.

Example: It wasn't the right moment to ask
10. In a correct, proper or satisfactory state or condition.

Example: put things right
11. Mentally sound or stable; sane.

Example: not in his right mind
12. Physically sound.
13. Morally correct or good.

Thesaurus: fitting, proper, suitable, appropriate, just, ethical, seemly; honourable, fair, virtuous; Antonym: inappropriate, wicked.
14. Legally correct or good.
15. Belonging to or on the side of a piece of fabric, a garment, etc which is intended to be seen or worn facing outwards.

Example: turn the dress right side out
16a. geom.
With an axis perpendicular to the base;
Example: a right angle
16b. geom.
Straight.
17a. Relating or belonging to, or indicating, the political right (see noun 5 below);

Form: Right (sometimes)
17b. Conservative; right-wing.

Form: Right (sometimes)
18. Socially acceptable.

Example: know all the right people
(Brit)
19. colloq
Complete; utter; real.
Example: a right mess

adverb

1. On or towards the right side.
2. Correctly; properly; satisfactorily.

Thesaurus: appropriately, correctly, genuinely, morally, honourably, aptly, befittingly; Antonym: incorrectly, wrongly.
3. Exactly or precisely.

Example: It happened right there
4. Immediately; without delay.

Example: He'll be right over
Thesaurus: straight, directly, immediately, promptly, quickly.
5. Completely; absolutely.

Example: It went right out of my mind
6. All the way.

Example: He drove right down to London
7. Said of movement, a direction, etc: straight; without deviating from a straight line.

Example: right to the top
Thesaurus: straight, directly, immediately; Antonym: circuitously.
8. Towards or on the right side.

Example: He looked right before crossing the road
9. Favourably or satisfactorily.

Example: It turned out right in the end
10. Especially in religious titles: most; very.

Example: right reverend
11. old use or dialect
Very; to the full.
Example: be right glad to see her

noun

1. A power, privilege, title, etc that someone may claim legally or that is morally due to them.

Thesaurus: privilege, prerogative, freedom, licence.
Form: rights (often)
2. A just or legal claim to something.

Form: rights (often)
3. Fairness; truth; justice.
4. That which is correct, good or just.

Example: the rights and wrongs of the case
5. The political party, or a group of people within a party, etc which has the most conservative views

Thesaurus: conservatives, reactionaries, traditionalists, right wing, Old Guard, Republicans; Antonym: radical, left, liberals.
Form: the Right (often)

6. The right side, part or direction of something.
7a. boxing.
The right hand;
Example: He was lethal with his right
7b. boxing.
A punch with the right hand.
Example: He knocked him out with a right
8. A glove, shoe, etc worn on the right hand or foot

Example: Can I try on the right?
9. commerce.
The privilege given to a company's existing shareholders to buy new shares, usually for less than the market value.
Form: rights (often)
10. The legal permission to print, publish, film, etc a book, usually sold to a company by the author or by another company.

Form: rights

verb righted, righting

tr & intr
1. To put or come back to the correct or normal, especially upright, position.

Example: They soon righted the boat
2. To avenge or compensate for (some wrong done).

Thesaurus: rectify, repair, redress, put to right, correct, set right; Antonym: wrong, damage.
Form: to right a wrong (especially)
3. To correct something; to rectify it.
4. To put something in order or return it to order.

exclamation

1. Expressing agreement, assent or readiness.

Derivative: rightable
adj

Derivative: rightly

Correctly.
Thesaurus: correctly, accurately, well.

Justly.

Fairly; properly.
Thesaurus: correctly, appropriately, justly, uprightly, properly, fitly, suitably, well; Antonym: wrongly.

With good reason; justifiably.

With certainty.

Derivative: rightness
noun

Idiom: be a right one

(rit)
colloq
To be or act in a silly or eccentric way.

Idiom: by right (by rights)

Rightfully; properly.
Thesaurus: rightly, justly, properly, suitably.

Idiom: do right by someone

To treat them correctly or appropriately, in moral or legal terms.

Idiom: in one's own right

Because of one's own qualifications, abilities, work, possessions, etc, rather than through a connection with someone else.
Thesaurus: independently, individually, on one's own, by one's own authority.

Idiom: in the right

Right; with justice, reason, etc on one's side.
Thesaurus: correct, true, accurate, valid.

Idiom: keep on the right side of someone

To maintain their goodwill; not to do anything that will annoy or upset them.

Idiom: on the right side of

Younger than (a specified age).
Example: on the right side of forty

Idiom: put something or someone right (set something or someone right, put something or someone to rights, set something or someone to rights)

To put it or them in a proper order, place or state; to correct it or them.

Idiom: right away (right now)

Immediately; at once.
Thesaurus: now, at once, this instant, immediately, presently, instantly, without delay, promptly, without hesitation, straightaway, tout de suite, directly, forthwith; Antonym: eventually, in due course.

Idiom: right, left and centre

On all sides; all around.

Idiom: serve someone right

To be what they deserve, especially as a consequence of a foolish, ill-advised or malicious action.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon riht, reoht.