infotainment

noun

in·fo·tain·ment ˌin-(ˌ)fō-ˈtān-mənt

: television programs that present information (such as news) in a manner intended to be entertaining

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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

Recent Examples on the Web The standard infotainment screen as well as the instrument cluster display measure 12.3-inches. —

Sam Abuelsamid, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024 Volvo runs its infotainment system on Google’s Android Automotive platform. —

Abigail Bassett, The Verge, 3 Sep. 2024 Behind the wheel The cockpit is well thought out, with a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.25 infotainment screen powered by Uconnect 5. —

Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, 16 Aug. 2024 Photo : Daniel Maurer, courtesy of Mercedes-Benz AG The interior features the MBUX infotainment system running on an 11.9-inch touchscreen, a Burmester sound system, and a 360-degree camera for parking assistance. —

Tim Stevens, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for infotainment

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infotainment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.