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
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Recent Examples of rightful
Heterosexual men are the rightful defenders of The Homeland.
—
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
After Alicent’s misunderstanding — which leads to Aegon II claiming the throne — Rhaenyra prepares for war and gathers allies to fight for her rightful claim to the throne.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
So former players would likely emerge to sue the lawsuit-weary governing body seeking their rightful fifth year as well.
—Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Jan. 2026
Roslovic’s value was always going to tank when Zach Hyman returned to the lineup and took his rightful place back on PP1.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rightful
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
After Alicent’s misunderstanding — which leads to Aegon II claiming the throne — Rhaenyra prepares for war and gathers allies to fight for her rightful claim to the throne.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
So former players would likely emerge to sue the lawsuit-weary governing body seeking their rightful fifth year as well.
—Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Jan. 2026
Roslovic’s value was always going to tank when Zach Hyman returned to the lineup and took his rightful place back on PP1.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rightful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rightful
Adjective
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To Spoelstra the approach remains that youth will be served when deserved, and even then not at the cost of one more victory, even amid the seemingly inescapable reality of a fourth consecutive trip to the play-in round.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
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The promotion is not only well deserved—programming launched under Walden has received over 1,200 awards, including more than 400 Emmys.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Sweet Venus enters your thoughtful sign, empowering you with justified confidence in your powers of attraction.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Feb. 2026
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The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment, but officials there have broadly defended the department’s actions as not only justified but necessary for ensuring the rule of law and holding alleged criminals to account.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rightful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rightful. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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