as in deserved
being what is called for by accepted standards of right and wrong
in light of her admission of having lied, the only rightful course of action for the governor would be to resign
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of rightful
In his lawsuit, Davidov sought to be named the rightful owner of the ball and to prevent its sale by any of the other parties.
—
Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024
There is an ongoing legal dispute over who was the first to retrieve the ball and was the rightful owner before its sale.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 23 Oct. 2024
While space scientists today still argue about Pluto’s rightful place in the pantheon of planets—some say its geology is as rich as that of any planet—no one can deny its scientific intrigue.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
Instead, the museum has filed a lawsuit against the Manhattan District Attorney seeking a declaration that the museum is the rightful and lawful owner of a headless bronze whose likely illicit origins have been documented in a major scholarly journal.
—Patricia Failing, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rightful 
Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024
There is an ongoing legal dispute over who was the first to retrieve the ball and was the rightful owner before its sale.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 23 Oct. 2024
While space scientists today still argue about Pluto’s rightful place in the pantheon of planets—some say its geology is as rich as that of any planet—no one can deny its scientific intrigue.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
Instead, the museum has filed a lawsuit against the Manhattan District Attorney seeking a declaration that the museum is the rightful and lawful owner of a headless bronze whose likely illicit origins have been documented in a major scholarly journal.
—Patricia Failing, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rightful
Thesaurus Entries Near rightful
Cite this Entry
“Rightful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rightful. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share