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
Marc D Grasso, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2026
Those features, now wrapped into the catch-all infotainment category, include media systems, gauge cluster displays, safety features and essential vehicle systems such as climate controls.
—Chris Teague, AJC.com, 13 Mar. 2026
The problem instead lies with dynamic random-access memory, or DRAM (dee-ram), chips that support artificial intelligence, infotainment and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
—Breana Noble, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Here is the list of the Crosstrek Hybrid’s advanced technology features, encompassing its infotainment, safety systems, and hybrid powertrain details.
—Tony Leopardo, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for infotainment
Cite this Entry
“Infotainment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infotainment. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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