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

Synonyms of entertainment

• amusement
• recreation
• enjoyment
• production
• diversion

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

Fayetteville Mayor Molly Rawn said the shooting occurred near the Dickson Street entertainment district where up to 30,000 people were out celebrating Halloween. — ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026

The night welcomed a retinue of A-listers to help celebrate, proving that fashion now touches every part of culture, from entertainment to tech to sports. — Max Berlinger, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2026

Then, after dessert, the action turns up a notch for the annual Men of the Year party that will once again host VIPs across entertainment, fashion, sports and culture. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026

His mother hopes his experiences will encourage the entertainment industry to become more accepting of artists with autism. — Donald Fountain, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing entertainment

• entertainment value
• non-entertainment

Rhymes for entertainment

• ascertainment
• arraignment
• attainment
• containment
• entrainment
• sustainment

Kids 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