entertainment

noun

en·​ter·​tain·​ment ˌen-tər-ˈtān-mənt How to pronounce entertainment (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter. Staff Author, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025 Paying the price for the company’s decisions are the 70 full-time park employees and hundreds of seasonal workers, along with the hundreds of thousands of annual guests who will have one less form of affordable entertainment. Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2025 The stadium is the centerpiece of a 131-acre entertainment, retail, hospitality and commercial district that will open in phases beginning next year. Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2025 Rebecca Glashow has been named chief executive of Tribeca Enterprises, the New York multi-platform media and entertainment company that owns and operates the Tribeca Festival, Tribeca Studios and distribution label Tribeca Films. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for entertainment

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of entertainment was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Entertainment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entertainment. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

entertainment

noun
en·​ter·​tain·​ment ˌen-tər-ˈtān-mənt How to pronounce entertainment (audio)
1
: the act or process of providing pleasure, recreation, or amusement
2
: a means of amusement or recreation
especially : a public performance

More from Merriam-Webster on entertainment

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