infotainment
noun
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Infotainment, a blend of "information" and "entertainment," first appeared in the early 1980s. Not everyone approves of "infotainment" and similar pieced-together, media-derived words (e.g., "infomercial" and "edutainment"), however. New York Times Magazine writer Joe Morgenstern referred to "infotainment" as "a plastic word, stuck together with show-biz epoxy." An editorialist for a New England newspaper called it "a nauseating word" that "has crept into the language without an invitation." Unfortunately for such detractors, the word continues to be used today. Not only that, but a new, distinct sense of the word is emerging. People in the automotive industry have recently begun using "infotainment" to refer to the state-of-the-art multimedia technologies (such as GPS systems and Internet radio) now available to drivers at the push of a button.
Examples of infotainment in a Sentence
Marc D Grasso, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2025
Tesla charging now integrated into Denali infotainment screen GM has integrated Tesla Supercharging into the Denali charging screen.
—Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
The multifunction infotainment and instrumentation screen extends 27 includes across the dash.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 9 June 2025
All trims come equipped with Toyota’s newest infotainment system, which includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, USB-C charging ports, and a wireless phone charging pad.
—Josh Max, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for infotainment
Cite this Entry
“Infotainment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infotainment. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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