entitlement

American  

[en-tahy-tl-muhnt] / ɛnˈtaɪ tl mənt /

noun

1. the act of giving, or the state of having, a title, right, or claim to something.

   She supported legislation to improve the lot of the elderly, including the entitlement of senior citizens to vote by absentee ballot.

2. a provision, amount, etc., to which one is entitled; a right.

   A good education is the moral entitlement of every child.

   Temporary teachers receive most of the entitlements of permanent teachers, including annual salary, on a prorated basis.

3. a government program, such as Social Security or unemployment insurance, that provides a benefit to eligible participants, or the benefit provided by such a program.

   Eligibility for this insurance program will be affected if there is also a Medicare entitlement.

4. the unjustified assumption that one has a right to certain advantages, preferential treatment, etc..

   "Their sense of entitlement—I don't want to call it arrogance—makes dealing with some people difficult,'' said the senator.

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Etymology

Origin of entitlement

First recorded in 1825–35; entitle + -ment

Explanation

An entitlement is the right to a particular privilege or benefit, granted by law or custom. You have a legal entitlement to speak to a lawyer if you're ever arrested and put in jail. Your entitlement program at work might offer various benefits, or you might receive a medical entitlement once you reach a certain age. These are just basic things you get. More recently, entitlement has taken on a critical sense. If someone has a sense of entitlement, that means the person believes he deserves certain privileges — and he's arrogant about it. The term "culture of entitlement" suggests that many people now have highly unreasonable expectations about what they are entitled to.

Example Sentences

With her family on board and fans worldwide cheering her on, she’s taking off the wig and going back to her stand-up, but with a touch of Entitlement.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2025

"I'm very lucky to be on this horse. He is brilliant. He has so much speed and could use it," said Blackmore, who earlier triumphed on Air Of Entitlement.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2025

Author Rumaan Alam’s new novel Entitlement explores how proximity to the rich can transform us.

From Slate • Sep. 17, 2024

Entitlement: acting as if the world should bow to their will.

From Salon • Sep. 8, 2023

Since the upstream dams generate Columbia River hydropower downstream, the treaty stipulates that electricity must be shared 50/50 with Canada, the so-called Canadian Entitlement.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 11, 2023

Related Words

• advantage
• allowance
• authority
• authorization
• benefit
• concession
• due
• exemption
• freedom
• immunity
• license
• opportunity
• prerogative
• right