entertainment
noun
en·ter·tain·ment
ˌen-tər-ˈtān-mənt 
ˌin-
1
a
: amusement or diversion provided especially by performers
hired a band to provide entertainment
b
: something diverting or engaging: such as
(1)
: a public performance
(2)
: a usually light comic or adventure novel
2
: the act of entertaining
3
a
archaic
: maintenance, provision
b
obsolete
: employment
Examples of entertainment in a Sentence
Entertainment was provided by jugglers.
plays, movies, and other forms of entertainment
They played games in the evening for entertainment.
plays, movies, and other entertainments
Recent Examples on the Web
First, famed filmmaker James Cameron endorsed Paramount, saying a Netflix takeover would lead to massive job losses in the entertainment industry, which is already reeling from a production slowdown in Southern California that has disrupted the lives of thousands of film industry workers.
—
Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Feb. 2026
Twenty years later, in a twist fit for Hollywood itself, the tiny studio once brushed off as a billionaire scion’s vanity project is poised to be an entertainment behemoth.
—Matt Sedensky, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026
The experience, which costs $240 per person, not including alcohol, features a hearty meal of prime rib and delicious sides (a vegetarian main course is also available) and is accompanied by live entertainment of country songs and cowboy stories.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for entertainment
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Feb. 2026
Twenty years later, in a twist fit for Hollywood itself, the tiny studio once brushed off as a billionaire scion’s vanity project is poised to be an entertainment behemoth.
—Matt Sedensky, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026
The experience, which costs $240 per person, not including alcohol, features a hearty meal of prime rib and delicious sides (a vegetarian main course is also available) and is accompanied by live entertainment of country songs and cowboy stories.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for entertainment
Cite this Entry
“Entertainment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entertainment. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
entertainment
noun
en·ter·tain·ment
ˌen-tər-ˈtān-mənt
1
: the act or process of providing pleasure, recreation, or amusement
2
: a means of amusement or recreation
especially
: a public performance
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