What Is Entertaiment?

Entertaiment is an agreeable occupation for the mind or a diversion or amusement. It can be anything from solving a crossword puzzle to watching a play. Entertaiment is a good thing unless it hurts someone or goes below human dignity. Entertainment is a very subjective term, and what may be entertaining for one person may be boring or disturbing to another.

The word entertainment derives from the Latin intertenere, meaning “to hold inside.” Its Indo-European root is ten, which means to stretch or extend something.

—Our Examples were programmatically compiled from various online sources, and don’t reflect the views of Merriam-Webster or its editors.