entitlement
noun
en·ti·tle·ment
in-ˈtī-tᵊl-mənt 
en-
1
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
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
But there’s a fundamentally American sensibility that unites its subjects — all eccentric, stubborn individuals whose belief in property as a sacred right has led them into conflict with someone equally convinced of their own entitlement.
—
Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
If insurers and entitlement programs keep paying premiums for products that offer little additional clinical value, these shiny new services will do little more than push costs even higher.
—Chris Pope, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Calling for your own manager to be sacked when the team is 14th in a congested table, still only three points off a top-half finish with 13 games left, is a more telling reflection of their sense of entitlement and inflated expectations than Hurzeler’s level of competence.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Joseph Beckham, a District 1 resident, said this zoning means the commission would provide the applicant permanent, high‑intensity entitlements with minimal ongoing city control.
—Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for entitlement
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Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
If insurers and entitlement programs keep paying premiums for products that offer little additional clinical value, these shiny new services will do little more than push costs even higher.
—Chris Pope, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Calling for your own manager to be sacked when the team is 14th in a congested table, still only three points off a top-half finish with 13 games left, is a more telling reflection of their sense of entitlement and inflated expectations than Hurzeler’s level of competence.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Joseph Beckham, a District 1 resident, said this zoning means the commission would provide the applicant permanent, high‑intensity entitlements with minimal ongoing city control.
—Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for entitlement
Cite this Entry
“Entitlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entitlement. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal 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
National Law Journal2
: 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
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