entitlement

/ɛnˈtaɪɾəlmɪnt/

/ɛnˈtaɪtəlmənt/

Other forms: entitlements

An entitlement is the right to a particular privilege or benefit, granted by law or custom. You have a legal entitlement to speak to a lawyer if you're ever arrested and put in jail.

Your entitlement program at work might offer various benefits, or you might receive a medical entitlement once you reach a certain age. These are just basic things you get. More recently, entitlement has taken on a critical sense. If someone has a sense of entitlement, that means the person believes he deserves certain privileges — and he's arrogant about it. The term "culture of entitlement" suggests that many people now have highly unreasonable expectations about what they are entitled to.

Definitions of entitlement

1. noun

   right granted by law or contract (especially a right to benefits)
   “entitlements make up the major part of the federal budget”

   type of:

   claim, title

   an established or recognized right
2. noun

   the belief that one deserves special treatment or privileges
   type of:

   belief

   any cognitive content held as true
3. noun

   a government program that provides benefits to an eligible group
   type of:

   program, programme

   a system of projects or services intended to meet a public need