derecho
Spanish, noun/deˈɾet͡ʃo/
derecho is spelled D-E-R-E-C-H-O (7 letters) and appears 275 times per million words in written Spanish, the 293rd most frequent Spanish word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). Derecho is a Spanish masculine noun meaning “right (a legal, just or moral entitlement)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) defines it as “Facultad concedida por la ley o la autoridad”.
What does derecho mean in English?
adjective
- 1
straight (not crooked or bent; having a constant direction throughout its length)
- 2
straight; upright (perfectly horizontal or vertical; not diagonal or oblique)
sentarse derecho
- 3
right, right-hand (designating the side of the body which is positioned to the east if one is facing north)
la mano derecha
- 4
correct, appropriate, right
noun
- 1
masculineright (a legal, just or moral entitlement)
el derecho al voto
- 2
masculinelaw, jurisprudence (the study of laws)
- 3
masculinelaw (the profession of dealing with laws (as lawyers, judges, etc.))
- 4
masculineright (the outward or most finished surface, as of a coin, piece of cloth, a carpet, etc.)
- 5
masculineright side (The side of a fabric that is intended to face outward on a finished project)
- 6
masculinea knit stitch
- 7
masculineduties, taxes, fees, charges
- 8
masculinerarepath, road
adverb
- 1
straight (of a direction relative to the subject, precisely; as if following a direct line)
Sigue derecho.
- 2
straight (directly; without pause, delay or detour)
Source: English Wiktionary, Spanish section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How Spanish dictionaries define it
adjective: 1. Lado opuesto al corazón. 2. Recto, sin torcerse. 3. Directo, sin puntos intermedios ni desviaciones.
noun: 1. Facultad concedida por la ley o la autoridad. 2. Suma a pagar por convenio de una u otra ley. 3. Estudio de las leyes. 4. Lado de una hoja, tela o cualquier superficie de dos caras dispuesto para ser visto.
The definition in the Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario), in Spanish.
Source: Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of derecho
- derecha feminine
- derechos masculine plural
- derechas feminine plural
- drecho alternative obsolete regional
- derechísimo superlative
Source: English Wiktionary and Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
How do you pronounce derecho?
- /deˈɾet͡ʃo/
- [d̪eˈɾe.t͡ʃo]
- [d̪eˈɾet͡ʃo]
Sources: English Wiktionary, Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
English words that translate to derecho
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.
How common is derecho in Spanish?
derecho appears 275 times per million words in written Spanish.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).