Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “rightful” come from?

Rightful comes from Old English rihtfull, composed of riht meaning "just" or "proper" and full meaning "full of."

rightful (English): By right; by law

Definitions

  1. By right; by law

Ancestry of “rightful”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishrightful—
2Old Englishrihtfull—

Words derived from “rightful”

  • unrightfully
  • unrightful
  • unrightfulness
Every word from Old English rihtfull →