The term "dextrorotatory" refers to a property of certain molecules that rotate plane-polarized light to the right, or clockwise. This characteristic is often observed in chiral compounds, which are molecules that have non-superimposable mirror images. Dextrorotatory substances are typically denoted with a "+" sign or the prefix "d-" in their nomenclature. In contrast, the opposite property is known as "levorotatory," where molecules rotate light to the left, or counterclockwise. The distinction between dextrorotatory and levorotatory is crucial in fields like chemistry and pharmacology, as the two forms can have different biological effects despite having the same molecular formula.