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

And the reality remains: The only way to seriously attack the nation’s $37 trillion debt is to craft more financially sustainable safety net and entitlement programs. —Editorial, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2025

Musk has also suggested that $500 billion to $700 billion in waste could be cut from federal entitlement programs. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2025

However, critics contend that DOGE employees lack the expertise needed to identify fraud within the complex government entitlement programs—an area traditionally overseen by the SSA's inspectors general—which could potentially disrupt the legitimate distribution of benefits. —Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025

Major entitlement programs of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are starting to feel the impact, raising concerns that more could be coming. —Russ Wiles, USA Today, 1 Apr. 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