entitlement
entitlement Lexical Profile
entitlement Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The fact of having a legal or official right to something, or the specific amount or benefit to which a person has a right.
"Full-time employees have an annual holiday entitlement of twenty-five days."
The belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges, special treatment, or exemption from normal rules.
"His constant refusal to wait in line like everyone else showed a glaring sense of entitlement."
American A government program that provides financial benefits or services to all members of a particular group who meet statutory eligibility requirements.
"Lawmakers debated how to fund federal entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare over the coming decades."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'entitlement' is completely neutral in legal and policy contexts (referring to a statutory right or benefit), in everyday conversation it often carries a strong pejorative connotation when used in phrases like 'a sense of entitlement' to criticize someone's undeserved expectation of special treatment.
• Rhymes for entitlement
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in English from the verb 'entitle' plus the suffix '-ment'; 'entitle' derives from Anglo-French 'entitler' and Late Latin 'intitulare' ('to give a title or heading to'), from Latin 'titulus' ('inscription, label, or legal claim').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.