entertainment

American  

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

noun

1. the act of entertaining; 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

Example Sentences

This is a consequence of personalized entertainment streams; people care less about whether a professional deems a show to be good than whether they might enjoy it.

From Salon

There are few opportunities to mount an entertainment of this scale — not even a Super Bowl halftime show can compare.

From Los Angeles Times

K-pop training institutes are usually classified either as Hagwon, or private academies, which are regulated by the education department, or as entertainment agencies.

From BBC

A recent press release External link from the American Gaming Association, a legacy gambling industry lobbying group, said “prediction markets are confusing consumers by promoting sports betting as an investment rather than entertainment.”

From Barron's

With all of these moving pieces, there’s a bipartisan fear among the nation’s lawmakers about how the acquisition could affect jobs in the U.S. entertainment industry .

From Los Angeles Times