right-centreright-centeradj.n.
/rʌɪtˈsɛntə/, U.S. /ˌraɪtˈsɛn(t)ər/ A. adj.
1. Originally Military. Occupying a position between the centre and the right; situated near the centre on the right-hand side.
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1756 S. Bever Cadet vii. 79 Fire as follows; Four Grenadiers. Four Right Platoons. Four Left Platoons. Four Right Center ditto. Four Left Center ditto.
1812 G. Thomas Local Militia Paymaster 69 The right centre division should be marched up the instant it is uncovered.
1880 J. Edwards Catal. Greek & Rom. Coins Numismatic Coll. Yale Coll. 27 An owl standing on a diota... In right centre field ΙΕ.
1921 Suppl. Code Iowa 554 An entry in the right-center column shows an amendment, substitute, or repeal of the session law citation in the left-hand column.
1950 Jrnl. Near Eastern Stud. 9 8/2 In the lower right center area are two relatively large and long-horned animals resembling oryx.
2007 D. Hedgeman Guidelines Church Dance Ministry xxix. 225 The Ark will be brought in from the back of the church in the right center aisle by male dancers.
2. Politics. Also with capital initials. Of or relating to the right-centre; moderately right-of-centre. Also: involving parties or politicians of both the right and the centre.Originally in French contexts: see sense B. 2.
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1839 Times 29 Apr. 4/5 Overtures were made on Thursday to M. Merilhou, with a view to induce him to enter a right centre Administration, as Minister of Justice.
1877 19th Cent. Nov. 659 The Marshal, in his message to the Assembly, made a final attempt to carry the Right Centre policy, but the jealousy of Orleanist designs was too strong.
1916 C. F. Horne & A. Keller Hist. German People XIII. iii. 68 This right center group was a unit against democrats and republicans, but it split when the constitution was debated.
1929 Times 23 Nov. 12/3 An admonition of the other bourgeois parties to prepare for a Right-Centre Coalition.
1956 N.Y. Times 7 Oct. iv. 2/2 Outside, in formal opposition, were the Communists and Poujadistes on the extreme left and right respectively, and two right-center parties.
1998 H. Nobuhiro in J. Banno Polit. Econ Japanese Society (2004) ix. 312 Right–centre rapprochement across government–opposition lines continued during the 1980s.
2008 H. Rappaport Last Days of Romanovs (2009) ix. 120 Monarchist leaders of a National Centre group (a secret organisation of anti-Bolsheviks led by right-centre politicians).
B. n.
1.
a. Originally Military. A position, orientation, or area between the centre and the right, or near the centre on the right-hand side.
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1796 Oracle & Public Advertiser 12 July The Infantry Camp..consists of..the Bedford and East York on the right and left centre.
1832 J. Mongan Rep. Trial W. Kilfoyle 57 The Enniscorthy corps was to the right; the Farmley to the right centre; the Myshal to the left centre; the Newtownbarry, to the extreme left.
1885 Proc. Amer. Soc. Civil Engineers 11 138/2 Quarters boat and tow-boat in right center.
1926 H. Bosworth Technique in Dramatic Art (1928) ii. 20 When three persons play in this manner, the middle one is at the exact centre, while the other two are at right centre and left centre respectively.
1944 Fortune Mar. 130/2 The combat team located in the right center of the map does not wait until opposing forces reach it.
2007 Weatherwise Sept–Oct. 55 (caption) The square box at right center gives the distribution with altitude..of total sferic counts.
b. Military. A body of troops positioned between the centre and the right wing; the right-centre part of an array of troops. Now chiefly historical.
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1803 Morning Chron. 25 Oct. 2/4 The right centre in a line perpendicular to the first, extending to Cumberland Gate.
1852 A. Alison Life John Duke of Marlborough (ed. 2) II. x. 280 General Wightman took advantage of a few minutes' breathing-time to draw off the right centre and join Argyll, who was returning from the pursuit of the wing he had beaten.
1944 Times 10 June 5/2 Farther to the east the right-centre and right are engaged in the valley of the Tiber in more difficult country.
2003 J. M. Perry Touched with Fire vii. 146 General Benham's First Brigades led the attack against the right-center of Floyd's lines.
c. Baseball. The part of a baseball field located between centre field and right field.
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1877 Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Weekly Times 2 Aug. Forrest hit safe to right center.
1896 Argosy Jan. 311/2 It turned to see where the ball was and saw them picking it up away out in right center.
1930 Washington Post 6 Oct. 15 Cochrane flied out to Blades, who made a brilliant running catch in right center.
1980 R. Mayer 1937 Newark Bears xvii. 244 It was a tremendous shot to deep right center that rolled to the scoreboard, allowing Gordon to circle the bases for an inside-the-park homer.
2005 M. Shannon Coming back to Baseball v. 87 John Stultz hit a gapper into right-center to drive in two runs.
d. Sport. A player occupying a position on the right of the centre of the field of play (cf. centre n.1 17b); the position occupied by such a player.Rugby the rightmost of the centre three-quarters; Australian Rules Football a right wing.
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society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > characteristics of team ball games > [noun] > players or positions
wing-back1734
goalkeeper1789
outfielder1855
quarter1857
centre fielder1865
outfield1867
quarterback1867
right1867
centre1868
left wing1871
left-back1873
left half-back1873
centre forward1874
left-centre1877
right-centre1877
centre back1878
centre half-back1879
forward1879
back1880
right wing1880
right half-back1881
goaltender1882
right-winger1882
wing1882
centre half1884
left winger1884
inside1886
half1887
custodian1888
left half1888
midfielder1888
left wing1889
right half1889
centreman1890
midfield1890
outside right1890
outfieldsman1891
goalie1894
winger1896
infield1897
inside forward1897
inside right1897
outside forward1897
outside1898
outside left1900
rearguard1904
pivot1911
wing-man1942
keeper1957
link1958
linkman1963
midfield1976
1877 Manch. Guardian 12 Nov. 7/4 The following players, with their relative positions, composed the Brighton [lacrosse] team:..C. Dyson, left centre; W. P. Fürst, right centre.
1891 Bristol Mercury 23 Feb. 3/2 Luffman's début at right centre was a very successful one.
1900 Western Mail 21 Dec. 6/5 Three-quarter backs... Gwyn Nicholls, Cardiff (right centre).
1951 Sport 6–12 Apr. 18/4 It was only justice when their right-centre Hunt opened their account with a try.
1969 R. D. Eagleson & I. McKie Terminol. Austral. Nat. Football iii. 10 Right wing, a variant for right centre.
1999 A. C. Rae Bluffer's Guide to Rugby (2004) 27 There are two centre positions on the pitch: ‘inside and outside’ centre or ‘left and right’ centre.
2. Politics. Also with capital initials. Chiefly in French contexts: a section of a government, political party, or other group holding moderate right-of-centre views. Frequently with the.The use originates with the seating positions of the 1789 French National Assembly: see centre n.1 15, right n. 16c. Cf. centre-right n. and adj. at centre n.1 and adj. Compounds 3.
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1820 Times 8 Mar. The whole of the right, the right centre, and the first section of the left centre, forming a majority in support of the order of the day upon the petitions in general.
1850 Spirit of Age 19 Jan. 38/2 Society..comprises two parties; in parliamentary language, a right centre and a left centre.
1870 Times 6 Jan. 9/1 Up to last Sunday every appearance was in favour of a majority consisting of the Right Centre leaning upon the Right.
1965 G. de Bertier de Sauvigny in New Cambr. Mod. Hist. IX. xii. 347 Its remaining members were to join themselves on to the right or left wings, retaining more or less trace [sic] of their origin under the labels ‘right centre’ and ‘left centre’.
2004 J. E. S. Hayward Fragmented France 2007 ii. viii. 279 Poincaré was able to reunite the Right-Centre and Left-Centre to ‘save the franc’ by producing a unified budget, increasing taxes, and making some economies.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1756