These words are concerned with establishing ownership or possession of land, money or other valuables. A claim may be an actual document that permits one to possess land formerly in the public domain ?or it may be the land itself: a claim of only a few acres that seemed worthless until gold was discovered near by. In a more general sense, a claim may be an assertion of one’s legal or moral entitlement to something that is held, withheld or owed to one by another: the drama coach who made a claim on the estate of the deceased actress; the Negro’s claim to full equality; an injured workman’s claim to compensation. Title , like claim , may also refer to an actual document that gives one possession of land or real estate. But unlike a claim that one may earn or come to possess by following a certain set of procedures, a title cannot usually be had except by purchase or inheritance.

• The prospector staked, then filed, his claim ; Her uncle’s will gave her title to the house.

A perquisite , colloquially a "perk ," is now more often called a "fringe benefit." In any case, it is something that accrues to one as an added advantage of one’s usual job or position: perquisites that included free room and board. It may suggest a monetary consideration in the form of a tip or bonus; and it may be specified in writing or may be simply an unwritten understanding between employer and employee.

A right is the most general of these terms and might substitute for any of them. In its narrowest sense, it may imply a legal proof of ownership, or a contractual agreement that has been put into writing. In is larger sense, it may refer to those things to which someone feels entitled without actually possessing them; such a right may be a moral, ethical, emotional or tactical one: a right to ten per cent of all proceeds from the book’s sales; a child’s right to love and understanding; the inalienable right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.