rightly

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈraɪtli/ UK /ˈɹaɪtli/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like lightly /l/ vs /r/

Freq #12549

Meanings

1

adv
Correctly; for good reason.

She was quite rightly disappointed at not being promoted.
2

adv
In a fair or just way.

The award was rightly given to the hardest worker on the team.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · correctly; for good reason. correctly justly

2 adv · in a fair or just way. justly

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.

*h₃reǵ- Proto-Indo-European ryȝtly Middle English rihtlīċe Old English *rehtalīkā Proto-West Germanic *rehtalīkê Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# rightly

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** /ˈraɪtli/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɹaɪtli/
**Frequency rank:** 12549

## Meanings
1. Correctly; for good reason.
2. In a fair or just way.

## Examples
- She was quite rightly disappointed at not being promoted.
- The award was rightly given to the hardest worker on the team.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₃reǵ-
- Root: ryȝtly
- Root: rihtlīċe
- Root: *rehtalīkā
- Root: *rehtalīkê

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Rightly comes 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. Modern senses include correctly; for good reason. and in a fair or just way..

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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