right-on

[ rahyt-on, -awn ]

adjective

, Slang.

1. exactly right or to the point.
2. up-to-date; relevant:

   a right-on movie that shows conditions as they really are.

right on

interjection

1. slang.
   an exclamation of full agreement, concurrence, or compliance with the wishes, words, or actions of another

adjective

1. informal.
   modern, trendy, and socially aware or relevant

   right-on green politics

Word History and Origins

Origin of right-on¹

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70

Idioms and Phrases

An exclamation of enthusiasm or encouragement, as in You've said it really well—right on! This interjection has a disputed origin. Some believe it comes from African-American slang (it was recorded in Odum and Johnson's The Negro and His Songs , 1925); others feel it is a shortening of right on target , used by military airmen, or right on cue , theatrical slang for saying the right lines at the right time. [ Slang ; first half of 1900s] Also see way to go .

Example Sentences

Her standing in the world rankings for right-on activists took yet another dive.

From The Daily Beast

Through the open door to the sitting-room, and down the wall to the right-on and on she crept.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• absolutely right
• correct
• right
• true

More About Right On

What does right-on mean?

Right-on is a slang term that describes something as being correct or exactly right, as in Sharane’s prediction that the stock price would increase was right-on. 

Right-on can also describe something as relevant or current, as in The right-on movie showed war as it is fought today. 

Right-on is also commonly used as an interjection to show enthusiastic support or agreement. It is almost always written as right on in this sense, as in Right on! Keep fighting for your rights, people! 

Example: The fortune teller’s warnings were right-on, with everything happening as he said it would. 

Where does right-on come from?

The first records of right-on come from around 1965. It is an Americanism of unknown origins. The excited exclamation usage comes from around 1911. Some believe it comes from Black slang, while others think it might come from military usage, such as right on target or right on cue.

You can use right-on to describe something that is exactly right. You can use the phrases on the money and on the nose to mean the same thing.

Did you know … ?

What are some synonyms for right-on?

• right
• up-to-date
• exactly
• on the nose

What are some words that share a root or word element with right-on? 

• right
• on

What are some words that often get used in discussing right-on?

• correct
• guess

How is right on used in real life?

Right-on is used to say that something was exactly right.

I was right-on about the Rangers, but I underestimated the Giants in this matchup vs. Phillies. Will we get a Giants/Rangers World Series?

— Chris O'Neal (@REALChrisONeal) October 19, 2010

163,000 jobs added in July (so ADP was right-on), and the UR rose to 8.3%. #Economy

— Yossi Gestetner (@YossiGestetner) August 3, 2012

Martin Luther King Jr. was right-on when he said "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

— Ed Nottingham (@oldstockguru) January 21, 2013

Try using right-on!

Is right-on used correctly in the following sentence?

My dad was right-on when he said not to trust that suspicious salesman because he turned out to be a crook.