Python String rjust() Method

The rjust() method in Python is used to right-align a string by padding it with a specified character (default is a space).

Syntax

string.rjust(width, fillchar=' ')

Parameters:

• width – Total width of the resulting string (including original text + padding)
• fillchar – (Optional) Character to use for padding (default is space)

Returns:

• A new string that is right-aligned and padded with the specified character on the left.

Example 1: Right-justify with spaces (default)

text = "Python"
print(text.rjust(10))

    Python

Example 2: Right-justify with a specific fill character

text = "42"
print(text.rjust(5, "0"))

00042

Use Case: Padding values for printing aligned output

items = ["Apple", "Banana", "Cherry"]
for item in items:
    print(item.rjust(10))

     Apple
    Banana
    Cherry

Common Mistakes

• Using a fill character longer than one character (will raise a TypeError)
• Expecting the original string to change (remember, strings are immutable)

Interview Tip

Use rjust() in formatting columns, table-like outputs, or aligning numbers for printing.

Summary

• rjust() right-aligns the string by padding on the left.
• You can customize the padding character using the fillchar parameter.
• It returns a new string — original string is not modified.

Practice Problem

Write a program that accepts a word and prints it right-aligned in a field of width 20 using '*' as padding.

word = input("Enter a word: ")
print(word.rjust(20, '*'))