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entitlement

[ en-tahy-tl-muhnt ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

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.
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.
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.
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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Word History and Origins

Origin of entitlement¹

First recorded in 1825–35; entitle + -ment

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

There would also would be no mixing with other prisoners, and they would be restricted to their basic entitlement of rights and privileges.

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It afflicts our most vulnerable, children, who are defenseless to the entitlement of whiteness.

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"These prisoners need only receive their basic entitlements and we should concentrate on control and containment instead of attempting to appease them. Things have to change."

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The entitlement starts at the beginning of the term after your child reaches the qualifying age.

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But is a there a genuine threat to the preservation of a sacred, 90-year-old American promise, given majority support for entitlement programs across party lines?

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Related Words

entitled entitlements

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