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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 Building a New Framework for Trust Just as provenance preserves the value of a masterpiece hanging in the Met, Adobe’s Content Authenticity tool ensures digital assets retain their rightful place in the creative ecosystem. Jamie Gutfreund, Forbes, 9 Oct. 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 16 Nov. 2024.

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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