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

Example Sentences

Hospital stays can affect your entitlement to the payment so you should tell the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus if you become an inpatient.

From BBC

There is a sense of entitlement among some, for sure, and it's easy to poke fun at that given all the titles Celtic have won.

From BBC

Efforts to deal with fiscal policy, entitlements and other critical issues have floundered.

From The Wall Street Journal

"There is a feeling of entitlement we have in our club," he said in a news conference on Friday.

From BBC

For politicians, trying to reform the veteran disability system and America’s other broken entitlement programs can seem like picking up a grenade.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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