Rightfully

How to spell rightfully

10 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce rightfully

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does rightfully mean?

1. adverbIn a way that is just, legitimate, or properly deserved by law or moral right.

Rightfully in a sentence

• The estate was rightfully returned to the family after the long court case.

• She rightfully claimed the prize money that the contest organisers had withheld.

Where does rightfully come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word is built on the native English adjective 'right', which descends from the Old English 'riht', meaning straight, just, or correct, a word shared with German 'recht' and ultimately rooted in an ancient sense of 'moving in a straight line'. From 'right' English formed 'rightful', combining it with the suffix '-ful' meaning 'full of' or 'characterised by', so that something rightful was something properly belonging to a person by law or justice. The adverb 'rightfully' simply adds the Old English adverb-forming ending '-lice' (modern '-ly') to that adjective, giving the sense 'in a just or legitimate manner'. It has been in use since the medieval period, often in legal and inheritance contexts where ownership and entitlement had to be stated precisely. The spelling trap lies in remembering that 'rightful' already ends in a single 'l', so the adverb keeps that 'l' and adds '-ly', producing the double 'l' in '-fully' that writers sometimes drop.

How the word is built

• right (just, correct)
• -ful (full of)
• -ly (adverb suffix)