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

April Talley, the city’s project director, said Cinemark’s departure does not require any change to the environmental impact report or project entitlements that were endorsed by the Planning Commission last month. —Adrian Rodriguez, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024

Arguments against defense spending increases often cite the ballooning of the national debt—but even though the debt is unquestionably a problem, defense spending is not its primary cause: entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are. —Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024

House Republicans also clashed at the time over where ideas to shore up solvency for entitlement programs or potential reductions to military spending would fit into talks to significantly curb spending. —Aris Folley, The Hill, 3 Nov. 2024

The sense of entitlement that comes with the tour circus can block the rationale of what is acceptable. —Tim Ellis, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024

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