nounadjectiveadverb

il diritto

right · upright

Insieme di regole che stabiliscono ciò che è giusto e ciò che è sbagliato in una società, e che servono per mantenere l’ordine e la giustizia.

The Italian word "diritto" has several related meanings, primarily connected to the concepts of law, rights, and direction.

Meanings:

  1. Right / Law

    • "Diritto" fundamentally means "right" in the sense of legal rights or entitlements. For example, “diritti umani” means “human rights.”
    • It can also mean law or the judicial system, such as “studiare il diritto” which means “to study law.”
  2. Straight / Upright

    • It can be used as an adjective or adverb meaning straight, upright, or direct.
      • Example (adjective): “camminare diritto” = “to walk straight.”
      • Example (adverb): “aller diritto” = “to go straight/onward/due.”

Components:

  • The word "diritto" comes from the Latin directus, which means "straight," "direct," or "right," reflecting both its physical/positional and legal/moral sense.

Synonyms:

  • For the legal/rights sense:

    • giustizia (justice)
    • legge (law)
    • tutela (protection)
  • For the straight/upright sense:

    • retto (straight, upright)
    • dritto (straight, upright)

Antonyms:

  • For the law/right meaning:

    • ingiustizia (injustice)
    • illecito (illegal act)
  • For the straight/physical meaning:

    • storto (crooked, bent)
    • curvo (curved)

Summary:

SenseUsage exampleSynonymsAntonyms
Legal right / lawDiritto di voto (right to vote)Giustizia, leggeIngiustizia, illecito
Straight / upright / directCamminare diritto (walk straight)Retto, drittoStorto, curvo

"Diritto" is a versatile word often encountered in legal, moral, and everyday contexts in Italian.

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Examples

Gli studenti hanno imparato i diritti fondamentali durante la lezione.noun

The students learned the fundamental rights during the lesson.

La sedia resta diritta sul pavimento.adjective

The chair remains upright on the floor.

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