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

TikTok's surge from niche video-sharing tool to global powerhouse is one of the biggest shifts in digital entertainment since the advent of social media.

From Barron's

Today our stars inhabit the cultural firmament, in sports and in entertainment.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Prediction markets, especially sports outcome contracts, are primarily gambling and entertainment products and are not aligned with Vanguard’s mission to give investors the best chance for investment success,” says a Vanguard spokeswoman.

From Barron's

“The only thing that is unique about Brentwood is that the victims were very prominent, and there are a lot of prominent people in the entertainment industry who live in Brentwood.”

From Los Angeles Times

To my mind, any entertainment involving global conflicts—boiled down to the action-oriented essentials, with muscled brothers in arms and impenetrable dialogue delivered largely in acronyms—is perfectly suited to these dark, divided times.

From The Wall Street Journal