entitled
Americanadjective
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called by the title indicated.
In my paper so entitled, I explore the idea that "Robust Democracy Is National Security."
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having a right or legitimate claim to something.
The inheritance passes to the legally entitled heir.
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assuming or acting as though one has an innate right or claim to wealth, success, recognition, etc..
I was so entitled and self-centered that I never noticed the injustices around me.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of entitled
Compare meaning
How does entitled compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The adjective entitled means you have a legal right to something. If you are entitled to your mother's house when she passes away, that means it's written in her will that she gave it to you. Entitled is often used in a more casual way, to mean "allowed." For example, volunteers at the park clean-up are entitled to the water and snacks at the pavilion. Sometimes, though, people feel they are entitled to special treatment because they think they are more worthy than others. This usage of entitled came from the mid 15th century, when it referred to giving someone the title of an estate or property.
Vocabulary lists containing entitled
Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States
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"Sorry, Wrong Number," Vocabulary from the play
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myPerspectives 6.1
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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.
“I would be foolish, or I would feel entitled, if I didn’t expect there to be disappointment,” McDaniel said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
Your beloved children are entitled to their feelings, but they are not entitled to your retirement.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Prof Angela O'Hagan, who chairs the commission, said the report highlighted the "gaps" between rights everyone was entitled to and the "lived reality" in southern Scotland.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Under the country’s Law of Return, any Jew or person with a single Jewish grandparent is generally entitled to Israeli citizenship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
In 1918, Fisher published his analysis in a paper entitled “The Correlation between Relatives on the Supposition of Mendelian Inheritance.”
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
