Entitlements

The problem here is that, when it comes to the word “entitlement,” there is a difference between its denotation, i.e., the definition found in a dictionary, and a common connotation as it’s used in the United States.  It literally means things to which people are entitled, e.g., a worker’s paycheck at the end of the work week.  If Sheila cuts my hair, she is entitled to the fee posted on the wall of her salon.  Similarly, people who paid into Social Security are entitled to its benefits, and thus the monthly payments that seniors receive are, by definition, entitlements.

An issue arises when people use the word to mean government programs that are not connected with the actual exchange with the citizenry.  It’s common to say things like “We need to cut entitlements, such as free food and housing for the poor.”

Needless to say, politicians take full advantage of the equivocation, the use of a word with two different meanings.