WordGarden.ioentitle
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /ɛntˈaɪtəl/
US
- /ɛnˈtaɪtəl/
Meanings
Verb
to give someone a right or claim to have or do something
to give a title or name to a book, work, or document
Beyond the definition
To entitle someone means to give them an official right to have, use, or do something. A ticket may entitle you to a seat, and a contract may entitle you to payment. The word is also used when giving a name to a book, poem, film, or other work. A writer might entitle a novel "The Last Summer." You will also often see the past form entitled before a title, as in "an article entitled 'New Beginnings.'"
At its core, "entitle" means giving someone a right or claim. This often appears in legal, official, or rule-based settings. A law may entitle citizens to certain protections, a policy may entitle workers to paid leave, and finishing a course may entitle you to a certificate. In all these cases, the idea is that a person has a proper right to something, not just a wish for it.
The word is also used for giving something a title or name. A poem can be entitled "Winter Light," a film can be entitled "Homeward Road," and a chapter can be entitled "Early Trade Routes." In this sense, the word simply connects a work with its chosen title.
You may also meet the related adjective entitled, which describes someone who thinks they deserve special treatment. That idea comes from the same root, but it is a different use from the main verb. For example: "He acted as if he were entitled to the best seat in the room." In a vocabulary card for entitle, the main meanings to remember are "give a right to" and "give a title to."
Historically, the word first grew from the idea of giving something a title. From there, it also came to mean giving a person a rightful claim. That is why the same word can talk about both naming a work and giving someone a right.
Examples
- 1
Ticket benefit
This ticket entitles you to free entry and a drink.
- 2
Employee rights
Employees are entitled to at least four weeks of paid vacation each year.
- Patternbe entitled to + benefit
have the right to receive it
- 3
Contract rights
The agreement entitles either side to end the contract with 30 days' notice.
- 4
Special treatment
He acts as if he's entitled to special treatment.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Title of work
The report was entitled *A New Beginning*.
- Patternbe entitled + name
have that title
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- be entitled to
- entitle someone to something
- legally entitled
- entitled to benefits
Word family
Explore
- eligibility
- legal right
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- entitleverb
Forms
- entitledpast tenseverb
- entitlesverb
- entitling-ing formverb