entertainment

American  

[en-ter-teyn-muhnt] / ˌɛn tərˈteɪn mənt /

noun

1. the act of entertaining; agreeable occupation for the mind; diversion; amusement.

   Solving the daily crossword puzzle is an entertainment for many.

2. something affording pleasure, diversion, or amusement, especially a performance of some kind.

   The highlight of the ball was an elaborate entertainment.

3. hospitable provision for the needs and wants of guests.

4. a divertingly adventurous, comic, or picaresque novel.

5. Obsolete. maintenance in service.

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entertainment British  

/ ˌɛntəˈteɪnmənt /

noun

1. the act or art of entertaining or state of being entertained

2. an act, production, etc, that entertains; diversion; amusement

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Other Word Forms

• nonentertainment noun
• preentertainment noun
• self-entertainment noun

Etymology

Origin of entertainment

First recorded in 1525–35; entertain + -ment

Explanation

Entertainment is amusement, usually involving a performance. The clown at a birthday party, a Broadway show, a stadium rock concert, your friends fighting over the last potato chip––these are all forms of entertainment. Entertainment is from the Old French word entretenir meaning hold together or support. It was associated with hospitality––when you entertained a guest, you were keeping them happy. From there, it came to mean amuse or distract. The entertainment is the amusement or the distraction––we talk about theatrical entertainment as shows, visual entertainment as the stuff you like to look at, and audio entertainment as mostly music.

Example Sentences

It was the brainchild of James Dolan, who was perpetually in the klieg lights for his sports and entertainment empire that controlled the Knicks, Rangers and Madison Square Garden.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Initial real-world applications of Ace-like robots likely would be in manufacturing and service industries, although untapped potential lies across sports, entertainment and safety-critical environments, according to the study.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

"We will continue to work with Paramount to complete the remaining steps in this process that will create a leading, next-generation media and entertainment company."

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

The Warner Bros shareholders on Thursday voted to approve the deal with Paramount, which DiPiazza said will "unlock the full value of our world-class entertainment portfolio".

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

So my dad, with his entrepreneurial spirit, planned a fund-raising dinner at a local hotel, inviting some well-known speakers from the community as entertainment.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad