right 
rightly, justly, correctly (= OS. rehto, reht, 
MD. recht, D. regt = OHG. rehto, MHG. rehte, 
reht, G. recht = Icel. rett = Sw. ratt = Dan. 
5179 
At this moment the vessel ceased rolling, and riglited 
herself. Everett, Orations, II. 130. 
2. To set right; adjust or correct, as some- 
rttll, V.T. rtfvnt = icci. /ett = *_,vv. i*ff * . 
ret, straight, directly), < riht, right: see right, thing out of the proper order or state; make 
,, "1 1 T I li4- *\ti L_'f YTI i rl-i * lino ctvQirrVif'. * lMJ?ilL. 
a.] 1. In a right or straight line; straight; 
directly. 
Unto Dianes temple goth she right, 
And hente the ymage in llir handes two. 
Chaucer, Franklin's Tale, 1. 662. 
So to his graue I went ful rythe, 
And pursuyd after to wetyn an ende. 
Political Poems, etc. (ed. Furnivall), p. 208. 
Let thine eyes look right on. ' Prov. iv. 25. 
Clark went right home, and told the captain that the 
governour had ordered that the constable should set the 
watch. Winthrop, Hist. New England, I. 89. 
Right up Ben-Lomond could he press, 
And not a sob his toil confess. 
Scott, L. of the L., ii. 25. 
2. In a right manner; justly; according to the 
law or will of God, or to the standard of truth 
and justice ; righteously. 
Thise zeues uirtues loketh and ledeth wel rigte and wel 
zikerliche thane gost of wytte thet hise let be the waye of 
ristuolnesse. Ayenbite of Inwyt (E. E. 1. S.), p. 160. 
Thou satest in the throne judging right [Heb. in right- 
eousness]. Ps. ix. 4. 
3. In a proper, suitable, or desirable manner; 
according to rule, requirement, or desire; in 
order and to the purpose ; properly ; well ; suc- 
cessfully. 
Alack, when once our grace we have forgot, 
Nothing goes right. Shak., M. for M., iv. 4. 37. 
Direct my course so right as with thy hand to show 
Which way thy Forests range, which way thy Rivers flow. 
Drayton, Polyolbion, i. 13. 
The lines, though touch'd but faintly, are drawn right. 
Pope, Essay on Criticism, 1. 22. 
4. According to fact or truth ; truly ; correctly ; 
not erroneously. 
He sothli thus sayde, schortly to telle, 
That it was Alphiouns his sone anon rijt he wist. 
William of Palerne (E. E. T. S.), 1. 4248. 
You say not right, old man. Shak., Much Ado, v. 1. 73. 
The clock that stands still points right twice in the fonr- 
and-twenty hours ; while others may keep going continu- 
ally and be continually going wrong. 
Irving, Knickerbocker, p. 270. 
5. Exactly; precisely; completely; quite; just: 
as, right here; right now; to speak rigjtt out. 
Sche swelt for sorwe and swoned rit there. 
William of Palerne (E. E. T. S-X 1. 4268. 
And be hem turnethe alle the Firmament, righte as 
dothe a Wheel that turnethe be his Axille Tree. 
Mandeville, Travels, p. 181. 
Her waspish-headed son has broke his arrows, 
Swears he will shoot no more, but play with sparrows, 
And be a boy right out. Shak., Tempest, iv. 1. 101. 
I am right of mine old master's humour for that. 
B. Jonson, Poetaster, i. 1. 
Bight across its track there lay, 
Down in the water, a long reef of gold. 
right. 
Henrri was entrid on the est half, 
Whom all the londe loued, in lengthe and in brede, 
And ros with him rapely to rigtyn his wronge. 
Richard the Kedeless, Prol., 1. 13. 
Your mother's hand shall right your mother's wrong. 
Shak., Tit. And., ii. 3. 121. 
3. To do justice to; relieve from wrong; vin- 
dicate : often used reflexively. 
So just is God, to right the innocent. 
Shak., Rich. III., i. 3. 182. 
Here let our hate be buried ; and this hand 
Shall right us both. 
Beau, and Fl., Maid's Tragedy, iv. 2. 
4f. To direct ; address. 
When none wolde kepe hym with carp he cosed ful hyje, 
Ande rimed him ful richley, and ry jt him to speke. 
" What, is this Arthures hous," quoth the hathel thenne. 
Sir Oawayne and the Green Knight (E. E. T. S.), 1. 308. 
To right the helm, to put the helm amidships that is, 
in a line with the keel. 
II. intrans. To resume an upright or vertical 
position: as, the ship righted. 
With Crist than sail thai right vp ryght, 
And wende to won in last and light. 
Holy Rood (E. E. T. S.), p. 67. 
right about, right': as, he 
righteousness 
Rome and the rvthteuus heavens be my judge. 
Shak., Tit. And., i. 1. 426. 
2. In accordance with right; authorized by 
moral or divine law ; just and good ; right ; 
worthy. 
We lefte hym there for man moste wise, 
If any rebelles wolde ought rise 
Oure riglitimse dome for to dispisc, 
Or it offende, 
To sese thame till the nexte assise. 
York Plays, p. 397. 
I will keep thy righteous judgments. Ps. cxix. 106. 
I love your daughter 
In such a righteous fashion. 
Shak., M. W. of W., iii. 4. 83. 
Faithful hath been your warfare, and of God 
Accepted, fearless in his righteous cause. 
Milton, P. L., vi. 804. 
3. Proper; fitting: as, righteous indignation. 
Is this rygt-wys, thou renk, alle thy ronk noyse, 
So wroth for a wodbynde to wax so sone, 
Why art thou so waymot [sorrowful] wyje for so lyttel 
Alliterative Poems (ed. Morris), iii. 490. 
= Syn. 1. Righteous, Rightful, Upright, Just; honest, equi- 
table, fair ; godly, holy, saintly. The first three of the itali- 
cized words go back directly to the first principles of right, 
while just though expressing quite as much conformity to 
right, suggests more of the intricate questions arising out 
of the relations of men. Upright gets force from the 
idea of physical perpendicularity, a standing up straight 
by the standard of right; righteous carries up the idea 
of right to the standards, motives, and sanctions of reli- 
gion rightful applies not to conduct, but to claims by 
right : as, he is the rightful owner of the land ; just sug- 
right-about 
adverbial p ., 
used only in the phrase to send or turn to the 8ary overr u]j n g jt, a law of God. This last is the uniform 
right-about, to send or turn in the opposite di- Biblical usage. Just generally implies the exercise of some 
here is above it, and if neces- 
i law of God. This last is the uniform 
rectionT Pads off; send or turn off; "dismiss. Jower'or'Shority. See justice and honest y 
. would have sent all righteOUSt (n'tyus), v. t. [< ME. ryhtotvm. < 
Scott, Waverley, xxxv. rightwis, righteous : see righteous, a.] lomake 
Now, I tell you what, Gradgrind," said Mr. Bounderby. righteous ; justify. 
Turn this girl to the right-about, and there 's an end of it. " can we meryte grace with synne? or deserve to be ryght- 
Dickens, Hard Times, iv. m used by folye? 
Containing a Bp.J?<rie,ACourseattheRomysheFoxe,fol.62,b. (Latham.) 
as, a righteously (ri'tyus-li), adv. [< ME. *rightwis- 
' AS. rihtwislice (= Icel. rettvis- 
six grenadiers of Ligonier's 
these SwtothfrigRout. 
right-angled (rit'ang"gld), 
right angle or right angles ; rectangular : as, a righteously (.n t 
right-angled triangle ; a right-angled parallelo- ly, rystwysly, < 
gram. ' .<?)> rightly, justly, <J***^(-J>H& l f f- 
grai- 
jht-drawn (rit'dran), a. Drawn in a just 
cause. [Bare.] 
What my tongue speaks my right-drawn sword may prove. 
Shak., Rich. II., i. 1. 46. 
right-edge (rit'ej), n. In a flat sword-blade, 
that edge which is outward, or turned away 
from the arm and person of the holder, when 
the sword is held as on guard. See false edge, 
under false. 
righten (ri'tn), v. t. [< right + -en*. Cf . right, 
TJ.~\ To set right; right. 
Relieve [margin, righten] the oppressed. Isa. i. 17. 
We shut our eyes, and muse 
How our own minds are made, 
What springs of thought they use, 
How righten'd, how betray'd. 
M. Arnold, Empedocles on Etna. 
Tennyson, Sea Dreams. 
6. In a great degree; very: used specifically righteous (ri'tyus), a. [Early mod. E. also 
in certain titles: as, right reverend ; right hon- rightuous, the termination -u-ous,^ later -e-ous,^ 
orable. 
Thei asked yef thei hadde grete 
suerde, " Ye, right grete. " Merlin (E. 
Right truly it may be said, that Anti 
mons Son. Milton, Refi 
7. Toward the right hand ; to the right ; dex- 
trad. 
She 's twisted right, she 's twisted left, 
To balance fair in ilka quarter. 
Burns, Willie Wastle. 
All right. See all. Guide right. See guide. Right 
aft See afti. Right and left, to the right and to the 
left; on both sides; on all sides; inr" " " "- 
enemy were dispersed right and left. 
Miraclis of the crossis mist 
Has oft standen in stede and rigt, 
Ouer and vnder, rigt and left, 
In this compas god has al weft. 
Holy Rood (E. E. T. S.), p. 116. 
When storm is on the heights, and right and left . . . roll 
The torrents, dash'd to the vale. Tennyson, Princess, v. 
Right away. See away. Right down, downright; 
plainly ; bluntly. 
The wisdom of God . . . can speak that pleasingly by a 
prudent circumlocution which right down would not be 
digested. Bp. Hall, Contemplations (ed. Tegg), V. 176. 
being a corruption of the second element of 
* 'it / 7 O / 7 > ' . , 1 i 1. J. 
wislih), right, righteous, < nhtms, right, right- 
eous, + -lie, E. -ly 1 ; or rather orig. < riht, a., 
right, + wise, way, manner, wise, + -lie, E. -ly 1 : 
see righteous.'] 1. In a righteous or upright 
manner; rightly; worthily; justly. 
Thou shalt judge the people righteously. Ps. Ixvii. 4. 
We should live soberly, righteously. Tit. ii. 12. 
2f. Aright; properly; well. 
Rygt-wysly quo con rede, 
He loke on bok & be awayed 
How Ihesu Crist hym welke in are thede [country], 
& burnes [men] her barnej [children] vnto hym brayde 
[brought]. Alliterative Poems (ed. Morris), i. 708. 
I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine ; 
so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so 
righteously tempered as mine is to thee. 
Shak., As you Like It, i. 2. 14. 
3. Rightfully; deservedly; by right. [Archaic.] 
Turn from us all those evils that we most righteously 
have deserved. 
Book of Common Prayer (Church of England), Litany. 
rihtwis, < AS. rihtwis (cf. OHG. rehtwisic, Icel. 
rettviss), righteous, just; heretofore explained 
as lit. ' wise as to what is right,' < riht, n., right, 
+ wis, a., wise; but such a construction of 
ideas would hardly be expressed by a mere 
comnound. and the explanation fails when ap- 
see arti. Kieni ana leu. 10 uie rigin. aim to me v . . 3 " ~ - -.r-ci 
left ; on both sides f on all sides ; in all directions : as, the plied to the opposite adj. *wrangwis, ME. wrang- 
ivis, wrongwise, wrongwis, mod. E. wrongous, 
which cannot well mean 'wise as to what is 
wrong ' (though this adj. may have been formed 
merely on the external model of rihtwis). The 
formation is, no doubt, as the cognate OHG. 
form rehtwisic, which has an additional adj. 
suffix, also indicates, < AS. riht, a., right, just, 
+ wise, n., way, manner, wise (reduced to -wis 
in comp., as also in Icel. odlmrvis = E. other- 
wise; the Icel. rettviss, prop, "rettois, simulates 
viss = E. wise); the compound meaning lit. 
': see 
right (rit), v. [<"ME. 'righten, rihten, rigten, 
rigten, rygten, < AS. rihtan, ONorth. rehta (= 
OS. rihtian = OFries. riitchta = MD. reehten, D. 
regten = MLG. richten = OHG. rihtan, MHG. 
rihten, (',. rit-l/ten = Icel. retta = Sw. ratta = 
Dan. rette = Goth. *raihtji>n, in ga-niihtjan, and 
at-ga-raihtjait), make right, set right, restore, 
amend, correct, keep right, rule, \ riht, right: 
aeeriglit.it.'] I. li'nn.i. 1. To set straight or up- 
right; restore to the normal or proper position. 
dient to the moral or divine law. 
It is reuth to rede how rigtuiis men lyued, 
How thei defouled her flessh, forsoke her owne wille, 
Ker fro kitth and fro kynne yuel-yclothed jeden. 
Piers Plouman (B), xv. 495. 
Aristides, who for his vertue was surnamed rightwise. 
Sir T. Klyot, The Governour, iii. 5. 
And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, 
Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John ii. 1. 
see rightemis and -ness.] 1. The character of 
being righteous ; purity of heart and rectitude 
of life ; the being and doing right ; conformity 
in character and conduct to a right standard. 
Ihesu fro the realme of rightwymes descended down 
To take the meke clothyng of our humanyte. 
Joseph ofArimathie (E. E. T. S.), p. 37. 
Pure religion, I say, standeth not in wearing of a monk's 
cowl, but in righteousness, justice, and well-doing. 
Latimer, Misc. Sel. 
If this we swore to do, with what Righteousness in the 
sight of God, with what Assurance that we bring not by 
such an Oath the whole Sea of Blood-guiltiness upon our 
own Heads? Milton, Free Commonwealth. 
Justification is an act of God's free grace wherein he 
pardoneth all our sins, and aecepteth us as righteous in 
his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to 
us, and received by faith alone. 
Shorter Catechism, ans. to qu. 33. 
Hence, also 2. In theol., a coming into spirit- 
ual oneness with God, because for Christ's sake 
the believer in Christ is treated as righteous. 
3. A righteous act or quality; anything which 
is or purports to be righteous. 
All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Isa. Ixiv. 6. 
4. Kightfulness ; justice. [Rare.] 
"Catching bargains." as they arc called, throw on the 
persons claiming the benefit of them the burden of prov- 
ing their substantial righteousness. Encijc. Brit., XIII. 2. 
Active righteousness.passive righteousness. Luther 
("Commentary on the Epistle to the (ialatiaus," Introd.) 
and other Protestant theologians following him distinguish 
