LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adverb

rēctē

rēctē (comparative rēctius, superlative rēctissimē)

Meaning

  1. in an upright position, vertically
  2. without error, accurately, correctly
  3. with good reason, justifiably
  4. in accordance with truth or fact, rightly
  5. in accordance with the law, legitimately, lawfully
  6. according to the rules, correctly
  7. with equity, justly, fairly
  8. with moral rectitude, rightly
  9. properly, thoroughly, well

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

iustissime, rectissime
legitimately; with the fullest right.

Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.

rēctē adv. with comp. and sup.
rectus, in a straight line, straightly, undeviatingly : ferri.— Fig., rightly, correctly, properly, duly, suitably, appropriately, well, accurately : recte tu quidem, et vere: Tractare, T.: facere: constare: recte factum (opp. turpiter), Cs.: deos tollens recte non dubitat divinationem tollere, consistently : cum fuit cui recte ad te litteras darem, safely : rectissime facere: ambulare, go as he ought : ludi recte facti, L.: procedere, agreeably , H.: apud matrem recte est, i. e. she is quite well : Recte ego mihi vidissem, would have looked out well , T.: vendere, at a high price (opp. male): Ad omnia alia aetate sapimus rectius, T.: rectius bella gerere, L.: rectius occupat Nomen beati, qui, etc., H.—In approval, well, quite well, right, excellently : Quid vos? quo pacto hic? satin recte? (sc. agitur), T.: De . quid fit? quid agitur? Sy . Recte. De . optumest, T.: clamabit, pulchre! bene! recte! H.—As a courteous evasion or refusal, all's well, there's nothing the matter, nothing is wanting, no, thank you: So . quid es tam tristis? Pa . recte, mater, T.: rogo numquid velit? ‘Recte’ inquit, i. e. no, nothing , T.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₃reǵ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₃reǵtós
  3. Proto-Italic*rektos
  4. Proto-Italic*rektēd
  5. Latinrēctē

Inherited from Proto-Italic *rektēd. By surface analysis, rectus (“guided, kept straight”) + e (“-ly: forming adverbs”).

In English words that came into English from rēctē

  • recterēctē

Quick answers

What does rēctē mean in Latin?
rēctē, a adverb, means “in an upright position, vertically; without error, accurately, correctly; with good reason, justifiably”.
Where does rēctē come from?
Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- → Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵtós → Proto-Italic *rektos → Proto-Italic *rektēd → Latin rēctē.