right-handed

Canada, US/ɹaɪtˈhændɪd/

adjective

Using one's right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than, one's left.

Similar
dextralrightright-handdextrorotarydextrorotatoryclockwise
Opposite
left-handedlefthandedambidextrous
OriginMiddle English riȝt honded →
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Meanings

adjectiveright-handed (comparative more right-handed, superlative most right-handed)

comparative more right-handed · superlative most right-handed · alternative righthanded

  1. Using one's right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than, one's left.
  2. not comparableIntended to be worn on, or used by, the right hand.
  3. not comparableTurning or spiralling from left to right; clockwise.
  4. natural sciencesOf a particle for which the direction of its spin is the same as the direction of its motion.
  5. Of a coordinate system: following the right-hand rule.
nounright-handed pl (plural only)

alternative righthanded

  1. pluralplural onlyRight-handed people, taken as a whole.

    Evidence contradicting this principle came from a study of epileptic patients by Penfield and Roberts (1959) who found that dysphasia following surgery on the right hemisphere was not significantly more frequent in the left-handed than in the right-handed.

    1992, Antonio E. Puente, Robert J. McCaffrey, Handbook of Neuropsychological Assessment, →ISBN, page 147

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
left-handedlefthanded

adjectiveusing or intended for the right hand

Similar
dextralrightright-hand
Opposite
left-handedambidextrous

adjectiverotating to the right

Similar
dextrorotarydextrorotatoryclockwise
Also see
clockwisedextraldextromanualdextrorotarydextrorotatoryrightright-hand

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishriȝt honded
  2. Englishright-handed

From Middle English riȝt honded, equivalent to right + handed.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic أَيْمَن
  • أَيْمَن (ʔayman)of one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Basque eskuinti, eskumati
  • eskuintiof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
  • eskumatiof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Catalan dretà, dreter
  • dretàof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
  • dreterof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Chinese Mandarin 右利手, 右撇子
  • 右利手 (yòulìshǒu)of one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
  • 右撇子 (yòupiězi)of one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Czech pravoruký, pravácký
  • pravorukýof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
  • praváckýof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Danish højrehåndet
  • højrehåndetof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Dutch rechtshandig
  • rechtshandigof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Esperanto dekstramana
  • dekstramanaof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Finnish oikeakätinen
  • oikeakätinenof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
French droitier
  • droitierof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
German rechtshändig
  • rechtshändigof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Greek δεξιόχειρας
  • δεξιόχειρας (dexiócheiras)of one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Hebrew ימני
  • ימני (yemaní)of one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Hindi दाएँ हत्था
  • दाएँ हत्था (dāẽ hatthā)of one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Hungarian jobbkezes
  • jobbkezesof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Icelandic rétthentur
  • rétthenturof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Indonesian bukan kidal
  • bukan kidalof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Irish deasach
  • deasachof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Italian destrimano
  • destrimanoof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Japanese 右利き
  • 右利き (migikiki)of one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Korean 오른손잡이
  • 오른손잡이 (oreunsonjabi)of one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Latvian labrocis
  • labrocisof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Lithuanian dešiniarankis
  • dešiniarankisof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Norwegian Bokmål høyrehendt
  • høyrehendtof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Polish praworęczny, praworęki
  • praworęcznyof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
  • praworękiof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Portuguese destro
  • destroof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Romanian dreptaci
  • dreptaciof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Russian правору́кий
  • правору́кий (pravorúkij)of one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Scottish Gaelic deas-làmhach
  • deas-làmhachof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Slovak pravoruký
  • pravorukýof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Spanish diestro
  • diestroof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Swedish högerhänt
  • högerhäntof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Welsh llawddehau, llawdde
  • llawddehauof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
  • llawddeof one who uses their right hand in preference to, or more skillfully than their left
Cite this entry
APA

right-handed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/right-handed

MLA

“right-handed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/right-handed. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “right-handed,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/right-handed.

Source: right-handed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.