right-of-center

The term is a modern political compound, originating in the 20th century to describe a nuanced ideological position. It builds upon the established left-right political spectrum, where 'right' historically denoted support for traditional authority and social order. The prepositional phrase 'of-center' modifies this, indicating a deviation from the core or extreme position. Thus, the literal construction "right of the center" logically maps to its abstract meaning: positioned on the conservative side, but closer to the political middle than to the far right.

This is a hyphenated compound phrase. 'Right' (Old English riht, meaning "correct, straight, direct") is used in its political sense denoting conservatism. 'Of' (Old English of, a preposition) links the elements. 'Center' (Latin centrum, from Greek kéntron, meaning "sharp point, stationary point of a compass") refers to the moderate political position.