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nounadjectiveverb

il retto

straight

Definition & meaning

Retto has several meanings:

  • Straight or upright: not bent, or held in an upright position.
  • Morally upright: honest, fair, or guided by sound principles.
  • Right, in geometry: an angle of 90 degrees.
  • Rectum: as a masculine noun, the final section of the large intestine.
  • Held, supported, or governed: as the past participle of reggere .

Grammar & Word origin

  • As an adjective, it changes to agree with the noun: masculine plural retti , feminine singular retta , and feminine plural rette .
  • As a noun, it is masculine: il retto .
  • As a past participle, it belongs to the irregular verb reggere .

The adjective and noun come from Latin rectus, meaning “straight” or “upright.” The participle comes from Latin regere, meaning “to guide” or “to rule.”

Synonyms & antonyms

  • Straight: diritto is a common synonym; curvo means “curved.”
  • Morally upright: onesto emphasizes honesty, while integro emphasizes integrity. Disonesto means “dishonest.”
  • Held or supported: sostenuto can mean “supported”; abbattuto can mean “knocked down,” depending on context.

Common phrases & collocations

  • angolo retto — a right angle.
  • uomo retto — an upright or honest man.
  • busto retto — an upright torso or posture.

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Examples

Le colonne non sono abbastanza rette per sostenere il soffitto.adjective

The columns are not straight enough to support the ceiling.

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