entertainment
/ˌɛn.təˈteɪn.mənt/
entertainment means an activity designed to give pleasure, enjoyment, diversion, amusement, or relaxation to an audience, no matter whether the audience participates passively as in watching opera or a movie, or actively as in games.
entertainment is pronounced /ˌɛn.təˈteɪn.mənt/.
Etymology
From Middle English entretenement (“support, maintenance”), from Old French entretenement; see entertain. Morphologically entertain + -ment.
noun
- An activity designed to give pleasure, enjoyment, diversion, amusement, or relaxation to an audience, no matter whether the audience participates passively as in watching opera or a movie, or actively as in games.e.g.“The delinquents are generally the adventurous type, who have little use for reading and other non-active entertainment.”
- A show put on for the enjoyment or amusement of others.
- Maintenance or support.
- An admission into service; a service.e.g.“He must think us some band of strangers i' the adversary's entertainment.”
- The payment of soldiers or servants; wages.e.g.“The entertainment of the general upon his first arrival was but six shillings and eight pence.”
- A reception; a (provision of) food to guests or travellers.e.g.“I prithee, shepherd, if that love or gold
Can in this desert place buy entertainment,
Bring us where we may rest ourselves and feed.”
Words closest in meaning
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