word choice - Can “in its own right” be used to mean “in itself”?



I’d like to use the phrase “in its own right” to mean “in itself” as in:



This subject has no practical application, but is interesting in its own right.



Is this a correct usage of the phrase? How is this understood by native speakers? Also, do you know of good alternatives?



Answer



Yes, “interesting in its own right” is a grammatically correct phrase, properly used, and likely to be understood by most native speakers.


Reasonable alternatives include adverbs based on any of the following:
• inherent, “naturally as part or consequence of something”
• innate, “Inborn; native; natural; as, innate vigor; innate eloquence”, etc.
• intrinsic, “Innate, inherent, inseparable from the thing itself, essential”


For example: “This is an impractical but intrinsically interesting subject.”


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