entitle
Americanverb (used with object)
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entitles,
present (3rd person singular)
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entitled,
past participle, past
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entitling
present participle
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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.
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to call by a particular title or name.
What was the book entitled?
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to designate (a person) by an honorary title.
verb
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to give (a person) the right to do or have something; qualify; allow
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to give a name or title to
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to confer a title of rank or honour upon
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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entitlesimple
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entitlessimple
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have entitledperfect
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has entitledperfect
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am entitlingprogressive
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are entitlingprogressive
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is entitlingprogressive
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have been entitlingperfect progressive
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has been entitlingperfect progressive
Past
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entitledsimple
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had entitledperfect
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was entitlingprogressive
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were entitlingprogressive
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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
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Commonly Confused Words, List 4
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The Bluest Eye
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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.
See Examples For:
Disruption caused by things like conflict – but also bad weather, strikes by airport or air traffic control staff, or other "extraordinary circumstances" – does not entitle you to extra compensation.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Just following this process would entitle employers’ decisions to “significant deference” from the courts — a “safe harbor,” or legal shield, meant to guard those decisions from challenge.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
A class action lawsuit which could entitle millions in the UK to a share of a £3bn claim against Apple is set to proceed to trial.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
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
“Does your battle for liberty entitle you to search through the private linens of a lady?”
From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Apellis stockholders will also receive a contingent value right that entitles them to an additional $2-a-share payout, dependent upon annual global net sales thresholds being met for Syfovre.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
Roberts and the court blocked such secret deportations and said the 5th Amendment entitles immigrants, like citizens, a right to “due process of law.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 1, 2026
The courts have established that making a charitable gift is a protected free speech activity that entitles donors to certain privacy rights.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2025
The parents argued that the free exercise clause of the First Amendment entitles them to these accommodations.
From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2025
“I didn’t think you did. I said, ‘In many states a hunting license entitles you to one deer and no more.
From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel
Since September 2025, working parents in England have been entitled to 30 hours of free childcare, external for children aged between nine months and four years old.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
If you pay expenses yourself, keep the receipts in the likely event that you are entitled to reimbursement from the estate.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 27, 2026
Then, the goal was to check if applicants were entitled to receive federal benefits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Travelers who pay a fee for advance seat selection or seat upgrades are entitled to a refund if the seat is unavailable due to no fault of their own, the DOT says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Suddenly everyone from sports stars to taxi drivers felt entitled to share their thoughts on which work was a “real” Vermeer painting and which wasn’t.
From "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett
A pasta PSA: After a yearslong hiatus, Olive Garden is selling 10,000 Never-Ending Pasta Passes on Thursday, entitling buyers to 13 weeks of unlimited pasta, soup, salad, and breadsticks.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
In addition to the cash consideration, Theravance shareholders will receive contingent value rights entitling them to 80% of net proceeds from any future license, divestiture or other monetization of ampreloxetine within the next 10 years.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
In 2023, Newsom extended that version of the program for another five years and added a “refundable” feature entitling studios to cash payments from the state when their credits exceed their tax bills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2024
In April, the government introduced HRT pre-payment certificates in England, entitling some patients to an annual supply of HRT for £19.30.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2023
“He has a letter from Doc Daneeka entitling him to all the fruit and fruit juices he wants.”
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
