World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesBang-to-rights
/ˌbæŋ.təˈraɪts/Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
Caught in the very act of committing a crime or wrongdoing, with undeniable evidence.
"The burglar was caught bang-to-rights exiting the mansion with the stolen jewelry."
- 1
Undeniable, irrefutable, or completely certain regarding guilt or culpability.
"The forensic evidence made the prosecution's case bang-to-rights."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Originating in British criminal slang during the mid-19th century, 'bang' functions as an intensifier meaning precisely or squarely, while 'rights' refers to being in the right or caught in the act. The phrase historically emerged within police and underworld lexicons to describe a suspect apprehended directly in the commission of a crime.
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10 Global Lexicons: How "Bang-to-rights" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
en flagrant délit
Transliteration: ɑ̃ fla.ɡʁɑ̃ de.li
"Le voleur a été pris en flagrant délit."
auf frischer Tat
Transliteration: aʊ̯f ˈfʁɪʃɐ taːt
"Der Dieb wurde auf frischer Tat ertappt."
in flagrante
Transliteration: in flaˈɡrante
"Il ladro è stato sorpreso in flagrante."
con las manos en la masa
Transliteration: kon las ˈmanos en la ˈmasa
"Atraparon al ladrón con las manos en la masa."
em flagrante
Transliteration: ẽ flaˈɡɾɐ̃tʃi
"O criminoso foi pego em flagrante."
रंगे हाथों
Transliteration: range hathon
"चोर को रंगे हाथों पकड़ लिया गया।"
当场抓获
Transliteration: dāngchǎng zhuāhuò
"小偷被当场抓获。"
현장 체포
Transliteration: hyeonjang chepo
"도둑이 현장에서 체포되었습니다."
現行犯
Transliteration: genkōhan
"泥棒は現行犯で逮捕された。"
Related Vocabulary Words to Explore
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A secondary residence owned or rented by a family or individual, used primarily for recreational purposes, holidays, or seasonal getaways.
Not producing or containing venom; incapable of injecting poison through a bite, sting, or other mechanism.
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