Standard Lemma guide

entitlement

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ənˈtaɪtəlmənt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: EH0 N T AY1 T AH0 L M AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The right to have something, whether actual or perceived.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Power, an authority to do something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Something to which one is entitled.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A legal obligation on a government to make payments to a person, business, or unit of government that meets the criteria set in law, such as social security in the US.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: government, politics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

right granted by law or contract (especially a right to benefits)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • entitlements make up the major part of the federal budget

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: title, claim

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English entitle Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Old French -mentbor. Middle English -ment English -ment English entitlement From entitle + -ment.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: nárok — the right to have something
  • Dutch: recht op — the right to have something
  • Esperanto: pretendo — the right to have something
  • Finnish: oikeutus — the right to have something
  • French: (avoir) droit sur — the right to have something
  • German: Anspruch — the right to have something
  • German: Berechtigung — the right to have something
  • Hungarian: jogosultság — the right to have something
  • Hungarian: igényjogosultság — the right to have something
  • Norwegian: rett — the right to have something
  • Portuguese: direito — the right to have something
  • Portuguese: poder — the right to have something
  • Portuguese: ter direito a — the right to have something
  • Portuguese: ter o direito de — the right to have something
  • Russian: пра́во (právo) — the right to have something
  • Spanish: derecho — the right to have something
  • Spanish: potestad — the right to have something
  • Spanish: intitulación — the right to have something
  • Spanish: fuer (disused) — the right to have something
  • Spanish: fuero — the right to have something
  • Swedish: anspråk — the right to have something
  • Esperanto: rajto — power, authority to do something
  • Esperanto: povo — power, authority to do something
  • Portuguese: poder — power, authority to do something
  • Spanish: potestad — power, authority to do something
  • Spanish: jur (desus.) — power, authority to do something
  • Spanish: fuero — power, authority to do something
  • Spanish: fuer (disused) — power, authority to do something
  • Czech: oprávnění — something that one is entitled to
  • Dutch: aanspraak — something that one is entitled to
  • Finnish: etuus — something that one is entitled to
  • French: revendication — something that one is entitled to
  • French: droit — something that one is entitled to
  • German: Anspruch — something that one is entitled to
  • Portuguese: reivindicação — something that one is entitled to
  • Portuguese: direito — something that one is entitled to
  • Swedish: anspråk — something that one is entitled to
  • Dutch: uitkering — a legal obligation on a government to make payments to a person, business, or unit of government
  • French: allocation — a legal obligation on a government to make payments to a person, business, or unit of government
  • Portuguese: alocação — a legal obligation on a government to make payments to a person, business, or unit of government
  • Russian: посо́бие (posóbije) — a legal obligation on a government to make payments to a person, business, or unit of government
Real reading context

entitlement in complete knowledge articles