a/the right to (do something)

a/the right to (do something)

An established moral or legal permission or privilege to take some action. You have the right to say whatever you want, but you don't have the right to have people respect or listen to what you say. I have a right to defend this land! It's been owned by my family for generations. A: "Officer, I have a right to park here!" B: "No, you don't—didn't you read that sign over there?"

See also: right, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

*(a) right to something

 and *(the) right to something

a privilege or license to have something. (*Typically: get ~; have ~; give someone ~.) I have the right to have the kind of house I want. You have a right to any house you can afford.

See also: right, to

*(a) right to do something

 and *(the) right to do something

the freedom to do something; the legal or moral permission or license to do something. (*Typically: get ~; have ~; You don't have the right to enter my home without my permission. I have a right to grow anything I want on my farmland.

See also: right, to

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.