entitlement

[ en-tahy-tl-muhnt ]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of entitlement¹

First recorded in 1825–35; entitle + -ment

Related Words

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