right ‧ ly /ˈraɪtli/ BrE AmE adverb
[ Word Family: adverb : ↑ right , ↑ rightly , ↑ rightfully , righeously, righteousness; noun : ↑ right , ↑ rightness , rights, ↑ righteousness ; adjective : ↑ right , ↑ righteous , ↑ rightful ; verb : ↑ right ]
1 . correctly, or for a good reason OPP wrongly :
I was, as you rightly said, the smallest boy in the class.
As you so rightly pointed out, things are getting worse.
They have been treated badly, and they are rightly upset.
quite rightly British English :
There’s a lot of talk, quite rightly, about the dangers of smoking.
This photo was taken in Paris, if I remember rightly.
2 . rightly or wrongly used to emphasize that someone else thinks that something they did was right, but you think it was wrong:
The prime minister was widely judged, rightly or wrongly, to be an honest man.
3 . and rightly so spoken used to say that a decision or action you have just described is fair and morally right, in your opinion:
A lot of people round here were furious, and rightly so.
4 . I can’t rightly say/don’t rightly know spoken used to say that you are not sure whether something is correct or not