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Consonant to justice; just; as, a rightful cause.

According to right or justice.

The quality or state of being rightful; accordance with right and justice.

Terrifying; frightful. -- Af*fright"ful*ly, adv. [Archaic] Bugbears or affrightful apparitions. Cudworth.

Full of fright; affrighted; frightened. [Obs.] See how the frightful herds run from the wood. W. Browne.

In a frightful manner; to a frightful dagree.

The quality of being frightful.

Obs.] -- Spright"ful*ly, adv. [Obs.] Shak. -- Spright"ful*ness, n. [Obs.] Spoke like a sprightful gentlemen. Shak. Steeds sprightful as the light. Cowley.

Legal or rightful power; a right to command or to act; power exercised buy a person in virtue of his office or trust; dominion; jurisdiction; authorization; as, the authority of a prince over subjects, and of parents over children; the authority of a court. Thus can the demigod, Authority, Make us pay down for our offe…

Frightful; exceedingly bad; great; -- applied intensively; as, an awful bonnet; an awful boaster. [Slang]

A goblin; a specter; a frightful phantom; a bogy; a bugbear. [Written also boggle.]

Something frightful, as a specter; anything imaginary that causes needless fright; something used to excite needless fear; also, something really dangerous, used to frighten children, etc. "Bugaboos to fright ye." Lloyd. But, to the world no bugbear is so great As want of figure and a small estate. Pope. The bugaboo of…

Rightfully or properly belonging; incident; -- followed by to. [Rare, except in legal usage.] That is the privillege of the infinite Author of things, . . . but is not competent to any finite being. Locke.

Conscience money, stolen or wrongfully acquired money that is voluntarily restored to the rightful possessor. Such money paid into the United States treasury by unknown debtors is called the Conscience fund. -- Court of Conscience, a court established for the recovery of small debts, in London and other trading cities…

on, could not refuse a portion of their pittance to one whom they still regarded as their rightful lord. Macaulay.

To keep from the rightful owner; to withhold wrongfully the possession of, as of lands or a freehold.

One who keeps out of possession the rightful owner of an estate.

Exciting great fear or apprehension; causing terror; frightful; dreadful. A dread eternity! how surely mine. Young.

Frightful. [Obs.] Harvey.

Inspiring fear or awe; exciting apprehension or terror; terrible; frightful; dreadful. This glorious and fearful name, The Lord thy God. Deut. xxviii. 58. Death is a fearful thing. Shak. In dreams they fearful precipices tread. Dryden.