露脊鲸属于须鲸，为露脊鲸科（Balaenidae）中的一类，分类学上称为真露脊鲸属（Eubalaena）。「露脊鲸」亦可用来泛指整个露脊鲸科，其中的弓头鲸另外归于露脊鲸属（Balaena），本条目所介绍的露脊鲸，主要是指真露脊鲸属（关于弓头鲸的更多信息见弓头鲸）。

露脊鲸可长达18米，重100公顿。牠们的身体大部分呈黑色，在牠们的头部有特殊的硬皮（粗糙而有斑点的皮）。牠们在英语中之所以被称为「right whales」是因为捕鲸者认为牠们正是他们的捕猎对象，因为牠们会在陆地的视线范围内游泳，在被杀死后会浮上水面。现在，人类不再大量猎杀鲸，取而代之的是赏鲸活动。

Right whales are three species of large baleen whales of the genus Eubalaena: the North Atlantic right whale (E. glacialis), the North Pacific right whale (E. japonica) and the Southern right whale (E. australis). They are classified in the family Balaenidae with the bowhead whale. Right whales have rotund bodies with arching rostrums, V-shaped blowholes and dark gray or black skin. The most distinguishing feature of a right whale is the rough patches of skin on its head which appear white due to parasitism by whale lice. Right whales can grow up to more than 18 m (59 ft) long with the maximum record of 19.8 m (65 ft) and weigh up to 100 short tons (91 t;****long tons) or more; 20.7 m (68 ft) with 135,000 kg (298,000 lb) or 21.3 m (70 ft) with uncertainty., being significantly larger than other coastal species such as humpbacks, grays, or eden's and omura's, but smaller than blues. Right whales were named by whalers who identified them as the "right" whale to kill on a hunt due to the plentiful oil and baleen they could provide.