right

noun (MORALLY ACCEPTABLE)

/raɪt/

Definition

B2 [U] what is considered to be morally good or acceptable: Your conscience should tell you the difference between right and wrong.Virtue and moral good in the right › If you are in the right, what you are doing is morally or legally correct.Virtue and moral good B2 [C] the fact that a person or animal can expect to be treated in a fair, morally acceptable, or legal way, or to have the things that are necessary for life: She campaigned for women's rights during the 1960s. Everyone has a right to education. She has no more right to a company car than I have (= she does not deserve one more than I do). [+ to infinitive] You're not my boss, so what right (= authority) have you got to criticize me? You have every right (= you have a good reason) to complain.Morality and rules of behaviour within your rights › If you are within your rights to do something, you are legally allowed to do it: I think I'm quite within my rights to demand a full refund.Allowing and permitting rights [plural] › legal controls over who is allowed to use a book or film: He has acquired the film rights to the book (= he is allowed to make a film of the book).Court cases, orders and decisions › new shares in a particular company that have become available for people to buy who already own shares: The company made a rights issue of one new share for every four held.Investment and stock markets put/set sth to rights › to improve or correct something: The company needs over a million dollars to set its finances to rights.Making things betterBecoming better

(Definition of right noun (MORALLY ACCEPTABLE) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)