rightly
/ˈɹaɪtli/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.73 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
adv
In a right manner; correctly, justifiably.
Example Sentences
- "She was quite rightly disappointed in not being promoted."
- "I don't rightly know what he meant by that remark."
- "Princes, Heavens antient Sons, Æthereal Thrones, / Demonian Spirits now, from the Element / Each of his reign allotted, rightlier call’d, / Powers of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth beneath, / So may we hold our place and theſe mild ſeats / Without new trouble; […]"
- "As to eleemoſynary corporations, by the dotation the founder and his heirs are of common right the legal viſitors, to ſee that that property is rightly employed, which would otherwiſe have deſcended to the viſitor himſelf: […]"
- "If rightly used, it will save a great deal of money in every household."
- "Mother very rightly resented the slightest hint of condescension. She considered that the exclusiveness of Peter's circle was due not to its distinction, but to the fact that it was an inner Babylon of prodigality and whoredom,[…]."
Etymology
From Middle English ryȝtly, rihtliche, from Old English rihtlīċe, from Proto-West Germanic *rehtalīkā, *rehtalīkō, from Proto-Germanic *rehtalīkê, *rehtalīkô (“rightly”), equivalent to right + -ly. Cognate with West Frisian rjochtlik, Dutch rechtelijk, German rechtlich, Swedish rätteligen, Icelandic réttilega.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *h₃reǵ-, ryȝtly, rihtlīċe, *rehtalīkā, *rehtalīkê
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɹaɪtli/
- British English: /ˈɹaɪtli/
Inflected Forms
rightlier (comparative)
more rightly (comparative)
rightliest (superlative)
most rightly (superlative)