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.
Taylor Swift is now the rightful owner of all of her music, and Patrick and Brittany Mahomes are loving it. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2025 The unclaimed property trust fund is made up of money that was lost on the way to its rightful owners, such as old 401(k)s, insurance payouts, and more — money that belongs to individuals, not the state. Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 29 May 2025 In Baku’s eyes, Moscow had snatched away its rightful victory. Zaur Shiriyev, Foreign Affairs, 26 May 2025 In the case of genetic data, the individual human being from whom the genetic code was derived is the rightful owner of that genetic data. Moti Mizrahi, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rightful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rightful. Accessed 6 Jun. 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
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