have a/the right to (something)
To have the just or legal permission, privilege, or authority to have or own something. Everyone has a right to food, shelter, and water, but unfortunately, not everyone in this country gets them. I have the right to my own opinions, so don't try to tell me how to think! The new legislation acknowledges that every citizen has the right to equal treatment in the financial industry, regardless of ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
have a right to
Have a just or legal claim on something or on some action, as in
The accused has a right to legal counsel. The related
have the right to is often used with infinitives, as in
You have the right to remain silent. [Late 1300s] The antonym, dating from the mid-1600s, is
have no right to, as in
He has no right to push you aside. Also see
in the right.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.