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

“If you look within the categories, you can see it’s up in entertainment and services and travel and retail,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

He has been at the helm of the company for much of that time, overseeing Netflix's evolution from a postal subscription service to an entertainment giant producing its own content.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

“This redesign will better reflect our expanding entertainment offering and make it easier for members to engage how and when they want,” Netflix says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Bill Werde, the director of Syracuse’s recording and entertainment industries program, said Spotify’s support for indie musicians could help them during a difficult time.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

Signs, signs—keeping us out of the movie theater, all of the restaurants and hotels, some grocery stores, all of the toy stores, most car lots, and all downtown entertainment.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals