The Meaning and Conceptual Meaning of the Word ‘Entertainment’

A clown at a birthday party, the Broadway show or stadium rock concert that keeps you distracted from your problems, your friends fighting over a single potato chip—all of these are forms of entertainment. The word derives from the French entretenir, which is connected to hospitality: keeping guests happy, making sure they are well fed and entertained.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘Entertainment.’ Click on a collocation to see more examples. These are not intended to represent the opinions of Merriam-Webster or its editors.

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