rightful
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- 1 rightful、legitimate、lawful、justified、righteous
ชอบธรรม describes something as justified, rightful, or legitimate according to moral, social, or legal standards. It is a fairly formal word used for rights, reasons, actions, authority, and legitimacy.
rightful、legitimate、lawful、justified、righteous
Used when a reason, right, action, authority, or claim is considered morally, socially, or legally justified.
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เหตุผลที่ชอบธรรม hèet phǒn thîi chɔ̂ɔptham a justified reason เหตุผลที่ชอบธรรม details
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การกระทำนั้นไม่ชอบธรรม kaan kratham nán mâychɔ̂ɔptham That action is not justified. การกระทำนั้นไม่ชอบธรรม details
Learning notes
Explanation
In ชอบธรรม, ชอบ does not mean “like.” Here it has the older/formal sense of being proper or right, while ธรรม relates to morality, justice, or principles. Together the word means that something has legitimacy or justification. The noun form ความชอบธรรม means “legitimacy,” and อย่างชอบธรรม means “legitimately” or “rightfully.”
Usage
This word is common in legal, political, administrative, news, and social-issue contexts. It fits phrases such as “a justified reason,” “a rightful claim,” “legitimate authority,” “government legitimacy,” and “an unjustified action.”
Caution
Do not read ชอบ here as “like”; ชอบธรรม cannot be used to say that someone likes something. It can also sound formal in casual conversation, so ถูกต้อง is often more natural when you simply mean “correct.”
Differences from similar words
1 rightful synonyms
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ถูกกฎหมาย focuses specifically on being legal. ชอบธรรม can include legality, but it also covers moral or social legitimacy.
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ถูกต้อง is the general word for correct or accurate, used for answers, facts, and procedures. ชอบธรรม adds the idea of moral, legal, or social justification and sounds more formal.
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ยุติธรรม means fair or just, with focus on fairness in treatment or judgment. ชอบธรรม is broader and often means rightful or legitimate according to moral, social, or legal standards.