v. Forms: 5–7 entytle, (entytel, -titele), 5– entitle. Also 5–7 intytle, (intitele), 5–9 intitle. See also INTITULE. [a. AF. entitle-r, OF. entiteler, entituler, mod.Fr. intituler, corresp. to Pr. entitolar, intitular, It. intitolare, late L. intitulāre, f. in in + titulus TITLE.]
I. From TITLE = ‘superscription, designation.’
1. trans. To furnish (a literary work, a chapter, etc.) with a heading or superscription; in early use gen. (cf. TITLE sb.). Subsequently only in narrower sense: To give to (a book, etc.) a designation by which it is to be cited, or which indicates the nature of its contents. Chiefly with complementary obj.; also const. † by, † with.
α. c. 1381. Chaucer, Parl. Foules, 30. This booke … Entitled was right thus … Tullius of the dreame of Scipion.
1388. Wyclif, Jerome’s Prol. Rom. The epistil … that to Ebrues ys writen … is not entitlid with his [Paul’s] name.
1483. Caxton, Cato, A ij b. This book … ought to be entytled the reule and gouernement of the body and of the sowle.
1581. Mulcaster, Positions, Ep. Ded. (1887), 5. I haue entitled the booke Positions.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. iii. § 9. E 1 b. To dedicate them [Bookes] only to priuate and equall friendes, or to intitle the Bookes with their Names.
1792. London Rev., Nov., 363. This section Mr. S. entitles, ‘Of the Use and Abuse of general Principles in Politics.’
1888. H. Morley, Eng. Writers, III. 179. A book entitled ‘De Nugis Curialium.’
β. 1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), I. 25. In his Policraticon, whom he intitlede de Nugis Curialium.
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), B iiij b. I will intitle this boke the Golden boke.
1542–3. Act 34 & 35 Hen. VIII., c. 1. Bookes … intiteled … the psalter, primers, praiers, statutes and lawes of this realme.
1738. Birch, Life Milton, in M.’s Wks., I. p. lxxvi. The Icon was at first intitled by the King Suspiria Regalia.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., Contents 7. Extracts from a Book intitled the Storm.
† b. To inscribe, dedicate (a book) to a person.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 152. Doctour Gylis … entitelid it [the bok of Governauns of Princes] to Philip, dauphin of Frauns.
1607. Hieron, Wks., Ded. before p. 429. I. Pp iiij. I haue thought good to commend some of my poore labours vnto you, by a more particular entitling them to your name.
† c. To ascribe (a literary work) to an author. With mixed notion of 5 c.
1550. Cranmer, Defence, 50 b. In an other booke, entitled to sainct Augustine, is written thus [etc.].
1575. Fulke, Confut. Doctr. Purgatory (1577), 216. Ecclesiasticus and the booke of Wisdome falsely intitled to Salomon.
1671. H. Stubbe, Reply, 17. My Adversaries will here allow no other Book to be Entitled unto the R. S. but what is Licensed by their President.
1699. Bentley, Phal., Introd. 14. Dionysius made a Tragedy called Parthenopæus, and intitled it to Sophocles.
1724. Swift, Lett., 28 April. The other [tract] is entitled to a Weaver … but thought to be the work of a better hand.
† d. ? To prefix the name of (an alleged author) to. Obs. (Perh. belongs to 5.)
1727. Swift & Pope, Wks., 1751, I. Pref. iv. (T.). We have been intitled, and have had our Names prefixed at Length, to whole Volumes of mean Productions.
2. To bestow on (a person) a certain title or designation expressing his rank, office or character; to speak of (a person) by a certain title. Formerly also, to give a certain designation to (a thing). Const. as in 1.
α. 1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (1835), Introd. 3. Galfryd of Ynglond in his newe werk Entytlyd thus as I can aspye Galfridus Anglicus.
1589. R. Harvey, Pl. Perc. (1590), 7. It were enough to entitle those Browne sectaries of the Blacke Prince, with the name of traytors.
1602. Fulbecke, Pandectes, 21. The kings and Queenes of England entitling themselues kings and Queenes of Fraunce.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 171. Next favourable thou, Who highly thus to entitle me voutsaf’st.
1683. Ray, Corr. (1848), 135. He entitles it Conyza acris annua alba.
1711. Hearne, Collect. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), III. 147. Please entitle S. only Bart.
1860. Pusey, Min. Proph., Joel iii. 16. 139. Here entitled by the incommunicable name of God.
β. 1593. Shaks., Rich. II., I. ii. 33. That which in meane men we intitle patience, Is pale cold cowardice. Ibid. (1596), Tam. Shr., IV. v. 61. And now by Law, as well as reuerent age, I may intitle thee my louing Father.
1605. Camden, Rem., 35. Mawd … who intitled her selfe Empresse & Augusta.
1728. Morgan, Algiers, II. ii. 232. They intitled him Sultan.
† 3. To write down under proper titles or headings. Obs.
α. c. 1430. Lydg., in Lay Folks Mass Bk. (1879), 394. Somme entytlenn hem in smale bookes of Report.
1463. Paston Lett., No. 477, II. 138. And more thinges … which I entytelyd in a scrowe.
1533. Frith, Answ. More’s Lett., Pref. A ij b. He desired me to entitle the somme of my wordes & wryte them for hym.
β. 1533–4. Act 25 Hen. VIII., c. 21 § 9. One sufficient clerke … shall intitle in his bokes and enroll of recorde such other writinges.
1582. Bentley, Mon. Matrones, To Rdr. B iij. After the good example of the learned fathers of our time, to intitle, reduce, and applie those other godlie meditations and praiers.
II. From TITLE = ‘right to possession.’
4. To furnish (a person) with a ‘title’ to an estate. Hence gen. to give (a person or thing) a rightful claim to a possession, privilege, designation, mode of treatment, etc. Const. to with sb. or inf.; also simply. Now said almost exclusively of circumstances, qualities or actions; formerly often of personal agents.
α. 1468. W. Worcester, in Paston Lett., No. 582, II. 314. I … entitled no crettur to na place.
1530. Palsgr., 538/1. By what meanes is he entyteled unto these landes.
1649. Selden, Laws Eng., I. xlvii. (1739), 77. The Emperor could entitle the Pope to no power here, because none he had.
1652. T. Whitfield, Doctr. Armin., 8. His dying for the elect is a sufficient ground to entitle him.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 257, ¶ 8. [God] will hereafter entitle many to the Reward of Actions which they had never the Opportunity of Performing.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 289. Such a quantity as might entitle that water to the name of the Golden Lake.
1798. Ferriar, Certain Varieties Man, 223. Every man thinks himself entitled to observe and to publish.
1818. Cruise, Digest, I. 138. The first tenant in tail who is born becomes entitled to any timber felled by the tenant for life.
1826. Henry, Elem. Chem., I. 635. The remaining salts of alumina have no properties sufficiently important to entitle them to a separate description.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Demerara, ii. 15. Better entitled than most of his brethren to complain of neglect.
1838. De Morgan, Ess. Probab., 188. If each had been entitled to his fraction of the sum which would have become due had he lived to the end of the year.
1875. Poste, Gaius, III. comm. (ed. 2), 397. The obligation by which the co-creditors are entitled.
β. 1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 2 § 4. It shalbe laufull to every man intitled to have the seid penaltie to distreyne for it.
1571. Hanmer, Chron. Irel. (1633), 70. Intytled to thirty thousand marks yearely.
1695. trans. Colbatch’s New Lt. Chirurg. put out, p. iii. With how much Justice it ’s intitled to such a Name.
1741. Richardson, Pamela, I. 46. Who … thinks himself intitled to call me Bold-face.
1769. Robertson, Chas. V., III. ix. 133. A higher rank in the temple of fame than either his talents or performances intitle him to hold.
b. spec. To furnish with a TITLE to orders.
1720. Bp. Kennett, Monit. Clergy Peterbor., I. 16. I must expect and insist upon it, that you Intitle no Curate, without [etc.].
† c. To invest with an office, etc. Obs.
1584. Fenner, Def. Ministers (1587), 38. Seeing you must … intitle the Magistrate with the Pastors office.
1662. Fuller, Worthies (1840), II. 547. Being the last who was entitled … with that dignity.
† d. To qualify, render apt. Const. to. Obs.
1627–77. Feltham, Resolves, I. xix. 33. There is a nobleness in the mind of man, which of it self, intitles it to the hatred of what is ill.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, III. xii. 402. The Temple … visibly intitled it self to fortification.
† e. To assign the possession of (something) to; to settle (an estate) on a person. Obs.
1608. Hieron, Defence, II. 25. The attribute ‘your Prince,’ giuen to Michael, entitleth the name Michael to Christ only.
1674. R. Godfrey, Inj. & Ab. Physic, 145. He intitled his Inheritance on his Sister.
† f. Phrase, To entitle and engage.
1641. Milton, Ch. Discip., I. 4. To entitle and engage a glorious name to gross corruption.
1649. Nicholas Papers (1886), 149. To intitle and engage the Queen to espouse as her owne quarrell whatever reflects upon Lord Jermyn.
† 5. To regard or treat (a person) as having a title to something. Hence, to represent (a person or thing) as the agent, cause or subject of a particular action, effect, condition or quality. Const. in, to, with sb., rarely with inf. Obs.
α. 1646. Jasper Mayne, Serm. agst. False Proph., 2. Never plot was hatcht to disturbe the Common-wealth, but the writings of some Sybill, or other, were entitled to that plot.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., III. iii. § 7. 485. Supposing Gods giving man this freedom of will, doth not entitle him to be the author of evil.
1672. Sir T. Browne, Lett. to Friend, vii. (1881), 131. I was not so curious to entitle the Stars unto any concern of his Death.
1690. Locke, Govt., I. xi. § 154 (ed. 4), 165. How ready Zeal for Interest and Party is to entitle Christianity to their Designs.
β. 1607–12. Bacon, Ess. Praise (Arb.), 352. Wherein a man is … most defective … that will the flatterer intitle him to perforce.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., II. 100. Nor intitle GOD in our impotent and mistaken fansyes.
1663. J. Spencer, Prodigies (1665), 359. An event to which I incline to intitle the especial agency of the Devil.
b. refl. To lay claim to. Obs.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., I. i. § 4. Churches are generally ambitious to entitle themselves to Apostles, for their Founders.
1672. Bp. Lloyd, Fun. Serm. Bp. Wilkins, 35. It hath been the way of our Adversaries to entitle themselves to dying men, even those, whose whole life was a Testimony against them.
a. 1718. Penn, Life, Wks. 1726, I. 155. Such as intitle themselves to Christianity, whilst Strangers to the Terrors of the Lord for Sin.
† c. To impute (something) to. Obs. Cf. 1 c.
1630. Prynne, Anti-Armin., 267. What Euidences, what Testimonies their opposite Arminian Errors … can rake vp together, to intitle themselues vnto our Church.
1647. H. More, Poems, Pref. If we can but once entitle our opinions … to Religion.
a. 1662. [see ENTITLING vbl. sb.].
1665. Glanvill, Sceps. Sci., 37. Intitling the Opinion of Intentional Species to Aristotle.
Hence Entitled ppl. a., that has a title or qualification; qualified. Entitling vbl. sb. Entitlement, a means of entitling; a designation, name. Entitler, one who entitles, or gives a title or name to.
1869. Daily News, 9 Dec., 5/4. The objections of entitled opposers.
a. 1662. Heylin, Life Abp. Laud (1668), 127. The entitling of these Doctrines to the name of Arminius, seems to be like the nominating of the great Western Continent by the name of America.
1835. Tait’s Mag., II. 670/1. Objections were raised … against so unlucky an entitlement.
1653. Ashwell, Fides Apost., 225. And this may be therefore judged the … most likely to be intended by the first entitlers.
