Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Right or proper; just.
- adjective Having a just or proper claim.
- adjective Held or owned by just or proper claim.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Righteous; upright; just and good.
- Just; consonant to justice: as, a rightful cause; a rightful war.
- Having the right or just claim according to established laws: as, the rightful heir to a throne or an estate.
- Being or belonging by right or just claim: as, one's rightful property.
- Proper; suitable; appropriate.
- =Syn. 2-4. Just, Upright, etc. (see
righteous ), true, lawful, proper.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective obsolete Righteous; upright; just; good; -- said of persons.
- adjective Consonant to justice; just.
- adjective Having the right or just claim according to established laws; being or holding by right
- adjective Belonging, held, or possessed by right, or by just claim
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective By
right , by law.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective having a legally established claim
- adjective legally valid
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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We're live as he shows up to take what he calls his rightful place.
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He expressed appreciation for South Africa's support of what he termed a rightful struggle.
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Actions like these will make it very hard for your sons to claim what you refer to as their rightful share.
chron.com Chronicle 2010
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Kansas is not THAT cold (although it might not be in rightful relativity compared to Minnesota) suz on
Green Christmas 2003
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Obedience: to God, to conscience, to those in rightful authority.
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England, and incite the people to bring back him they called their rightful king.
In the Wars of the Roses A Story for the Young Evelyn Everett-Green 1894
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He does not purpose to come back to France unless he whom he calls his rightful king again rules the land.
The Eagle of the Empire A Story of Waterloo Cyrus Townsend Brady 1890
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An elfin man of doleful mien, Mr. Wisdom was often described as the rightful heir to
NYT > Home Page By MARGALIT FOX 2010
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"Sound now the horn which King Oberon did give you-for this is so great a peril that he will grant your call a rightful one."
Huon of the Horn Norton, Andre 1951
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This hall has been called his rightful kingdom; he sits among the other minstrels consciously like a young monarch.
The Wagnerian Romances Gertrude Hall Brownell 1912
travismcdermott commented on the word rightful
a1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1100, Eall thet the Gode waes laedh & rihtfullan mannan..waes asgewunelic on thisan lande.
May 26, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word rightful
See pointing the brie.
January 23, 2010
dontcry commented on the word rightful
Ummmm....what??
January 23, 2010
reesetee commented on the word rightful
From chained_bear on pointing the brie: "In fact, this situation is exactly why the word 'rightful' was coined." :-)
January 24, 2010
dontcry commented on the word rightful
I got that, it's the travis post that eludes me!
January 24, 2010
bilby commented on the word rightful
(I) see.
January 24, 2010
dontcry commented on the word rightful
(H)mmmmmmmm...
January 24, 2010