entitlement

noun

en·​ti·​tle·​ment in-ˈtī-tᵊl-mənt 

en-

1

a

: the state or condition of being entitled : right

b

: a right to benefits specified especially by law or contract

2

: belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges

3

: a government program providing benefits to members of a specified group

also : funds supporting or distributed by such a program

Synonyms

• allocation
• allotment
• annuity
• appropriation
• grant
• subsidy
• subvention

Examples of entitlement in a Sentence

my entitlement to a refund

celebrities who have an arrogant sense of entitlement

entitlements such as medical aid for the elderly and poor

Recent Examples on the Web

What is not okay is to make ridiculous demands of a concierge or to present an air of entitlement. —Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025

Budget deficits, for example, have grown not as a result of the national security state but because of the expansion of entitlements and the growing number of Americans who qualify for them as the population ages. —Michael Singh, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2025

The entitlement of a famous and powerful man is nothing new, but his monkey? —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 June 2025

An even better solution would be to immediately create more jobs so more tax revenue would be generated, which would also lessen our entitlement spending. —Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Legal Definition

entitlement

noun

en·​ti·​tle·​ment

1

: the state or condition of being entitled : claim

evidence of victim's entitlement to money seized

—National Law Journal

2

: a right to benefits that is granted especially by law or contract (as an insurance policy)

Note: Some courts have held that entitlements are a property interest and therefore subject to procedural due process under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution when denied by federal or state governments.

3

: a government program that provides benefits to members of a group that has a statutory entitlement

also : the benefits distributed by such a program