infotainment
noun
Did you know?
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
Charles Singh, The Tennessean, 18 Aug. 2025
Apple users will soon be able to access any widgets from installed apps via their vehicle's infotainment system.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
The number of sides has been similarly reduced to two, along with two flavors of pie, all of which are available to order from Tesla’s in-car infotainment system.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2025
That means buyers will be spending at least $27,000 (as it’s currently priced although that could change) for a two-door, unpainted pickup with manual windows and no infotainment system.
—Sam Abuelsamid, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 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 27 Aug. 2025.
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