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

Traditionally, the defense of entitlement programs has been a very strong issue for Democrats, so this is a perilous choice for the GOP. —David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025

Medicaid in particular has come under the microscope — the Energy and Commerce Committee oversees Medicaid, and the $880 billion it is tasked with saving would almost certainly require cuts to the entitlement program. —Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2025

So is trampling on international alliances to fight climate change and pandemics and mindlessly cutting government investment in research to enable growth in entitlement spending. —Matthew J. Slaughter, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025

Trump has long positioned himself as a defender of entitlement programs, including Medicaid, which provides health care to low-income Americans. —Nik Popli / Washington, TIME, 25 Feb. 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