entitle
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to give (a person or thing) a title, right, or claim to something; furnish with grounds for laying claim.
His executive position entitled him to certain courtesies rarely accorded others.
-
to call by a particular title or name.
What was the book entitled?
-
to designate (a person) by an honorary title.
verb
-
to give (a person) the right to do or have something; qualify; allow
-
to give a name or title to
-
to confer a title of rank or honour upon
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
entitlesimple
-
entitlessimple
-
have entitledperfect
-
has entitledperfect
-
am entitlingprogressive
-
are entitlingprogressive
-
is entitlingprogressive
-
have been entitlingperfect progressive
-
has been entitlingperfect progressive
Past
-
entitledsimple
-
had entitledperfect
-
was entitlingprogressive
-
were entitlingprogressive
-
had been entitlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of entitle
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English entitlen, from Anglo-French entitler, variant of Middle French entituler, from Late Latin intitulāre; see en- 1, title
Explanation
Use the verb entitle to mean "give a right to." At some schools, being a senior might entitle students to go out for lunch on Fridays. The most common use of entitle is the one you might see on a coupon, like one for a free ride at the state fair that entitles the holder to one free ride on the Octopus of Terror. When you entitle someone, you give them a claim to something, like when you entitle someone the best goalie in Canada, or make someone a member of the noble class, like when the Queen entitles, or gives a title to, a worthy person.
Vocabulary lists containing entitle
Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Commonly Confused Words, List 4
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Bluest Eye
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Current labor agreements entitle workers to double pay if they operate an electric and diesel vehicle, or work both in a rail yard and on an active train, in the same shift.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
“The idea was always, I pay the property owner, someone pays me rent, I more or less break even and I have time to entitle the property for something bigger.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026
TD Cowen’s Craig Hutchison says the U.S. government will be granted a participation interest which, once vested, will entitle it to receive 20% of any cash distributions over $17.5 billion made by Westinghouse.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025
So, it could take you like two years to entitle land, sometimes even three or four years, but then it might take you another year to build it.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 27, 2023
That’s how long Chacko and Rahel had to wait for the pink receipt that would entitle them to collect Ammu’s remains.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
