Meaning & use
in her own right
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Because of her own ability, effort, or status, not because of a husband, parent, or other relative.
Grammar: Comes after a noun or name: she is a writer in her own right.
Patterns
- be something in her own right
- a success in her own right
Her mother was a famous singer, but Maya became a star in her own right.
She inherited the land, and later bought two more farms in her own right.
After the divorce, he was no longer known as her husband; he was an artist in her own right.
phrasefixed phraseformallegal
As a legal or official right that belongs to her personally, rather than through someone else.
Grammar: Used in legal and formal writing, often about property or titles: she holds the shares in her own right.
Patterns
- hold something in her own right
- own something in her own right
The queen ruled in her own right, not as the wife of a king.
She owns the house in her own right, so her husband cannot sell it.
Common combinations
- a success in her own right
- Her brother is a senator, but she is a success in her own right.
- famous in her own right
- The coach's daughter is famous in her own right as a marathon runner.
- in her own right as
- He is admired in his own right as a scientist.
- hold something in her own right
- She holds the title in her own right.
Synonyms and how they differ
- independently
- Focuses on acting alone rather than on personal merit, and does not carry the idea of family connections.
- on her own merits
- Very close in meaning, but used more in discussions of judging or awards.
Opposites
Word family
- in his own right phrase
- The same expression used for a male person.
- in their own right phrase
- The plural form used for more than one person.
Commonly confused: in her own right or by right?
in her own right vs by right
'By right' means according to what is fair or lawful, as in 'The money is hers by right'; it does not suggest personal achievement.
Practice
Her father was a famous painter, but she became a well-known sculptor ______.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'in her own right'. The other options mix up the preposition or word order, which never occurs in this idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “in her own right”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.