entertainment

noun

en·​ter·​tain·​ment ˌen-tər-ˈtān-mənt 

1

a

: amusement or diversion provided especially by performers

hired a band to provide entertainment

b

: something diverting or engaging: such as

(1)

: a public performance

(2)

: a usually light comic or adventure novel

2

: the act of entertaining

3

a

archaic : maintenance, provision

b

obsolete : employment

Synonyms

• amusement
• distraction
• diversion
• recreation

Examples of entertainment in a Sentence

Entertainment was provided by jugglers.

plays, movies, and other forms of entertainment

They played games in the evening for entertainment.

plays, movies, and other entertainments

Recent Examples on the Web

Gaslamp Quarter Cinco de Mayo Festival The Gaslamp District will put on a Cinco de Mayo extravaganza — Viva la Fiesta — from noon to 8 p.m. May 4 at Fifth Avenue between Island and G streets, with live Latin entertainment, street dancing, Mexican cuisine and competitions. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2024

The event celebrates some of the year's biggest and most influential stars, touching the corners of sports, entertainment, politics and beyond. —Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Phrases Containing entertainment

• entertainment value
• non-entertainment

Kids Definition

entertainment

noun

en·​ter·​tain·​ment ˌen-tər-ˈtān-mənt 

1

: the act or process of providing pleasure, recreation, or amusement

2

: a means of amusement or recreation

especially : a public performance