What does entitling mean?
'Entitling' is the present participle of the verb 'entitle', which carries two main meanings. First, and most commonly today, it means to give someone a right to have or do something — a contract entitling a worker to severance pay, or a ticket entitling the bearer to admission. This use is frequent in legal, financial, and administrative language, where precision about rights matters. Second, it means to give a title to something — a book, film, article, or chapter — though this sense has become somewhat old-fashioned; modern writers usually say a work is 'titled' rather than 'entitled'. The word derives from Old French 'entitler', rooted in Latin 'titulus', meaning a title or inscription. Related forms include 'entitled', 'entitlement', and 'entitles', with 'entitlement' now a prominent noun in political and social discourse.
verb (present participle of entitle)The present participle of 'entitle': giving someone a legal or moral right to have or do something, or giving a title (such as a name) to a book, film, or other work.
- Giving someone the right to something (e.g. benefits, privileges)
- Naming or giving a title to a work such as a book, film, or article
"The new policy is aimed at entitling every employee to paid parental leave."
"A season pass is entitling members to unlimited entry throughout the year."
"She spent weeks entitling each chapter of her memoir."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of entitling
'Entitling' comes from the verb 'entitle', which entered English from Old French 'entitler' in the late Middle Ages, built on Latin 'titulus' meaning a title, heading, or inscription. The sense of conferring a right developed by extension from the idea of conferring an official title or status. Cognates and relatives include 'title', 'titular', 'entitlement', and 'subtitle'.
Related word forms
How entitling is actually used
'Entitling' appears chiefly in formal, legal, and administrative contexts, especially in phrases like 'entitling the holder to...'. In the naming sense it often follows a work in apposition: 'a novel entitling itself a tragedy'.
Easily confused with entitling
'Intitling' is a rare, now chiefly legal verb meaning to give a formal title or heading to a document, whereas 'entitling' more commonly means granting a right or naming a work.