rightful

adjective

right·​ful ˈrīt-fəl How to pronounce rightful (audio)
1
2
a
: having a just or legally established claim : legitimate
the rightful owner
b
: held by right or just claim : legal
rightful authority
3
: proper, fitting
assured of his rightful place in historyBrian Duff
rightfully adverb
rightfulness noun

Examples of rightful in a Sentence

The property should be returned to its rightful owner. He will be given his rightful place in the history books.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While this would certainly lead to rightful and widespread retaliation, a pay decrease would be easier to swallow for medical professionals if further action were taken to spare them from having to take out hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans to pay for their medical education. Adrianne Fantasia, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2025 Seeing a coffin in its rightful context versus a foreign display alters one’s understanding, and though repatriation efforts have intensified in recent years, public knowledge of ancient Egypt remains influenced by Western narratives. Costa Beavin Pappas, ARTnews.com, 3 Jan. 2025 Earlier in the show, McCartney had introduced his audience to another old friend: his original bass guitar, which was stolen half a century ago and made its way back to its rightful owner in February. Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024 To find the rightful winner, the lottery employs law enforcement officers to help with an investigation process in order to determine if a player won the jackpot. Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rightful 

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rightful was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near rightful

Cite this Entry

“Rightful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rightful. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

rightful

adjective
right·​ful ˈrīt-fəl How to pronounce rightful (audio)
1
2
: having a just or legal claim : legitimate
the rightful owner
rightfully adverb
rightfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on rightful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!