What Is Entertaiment?

Entertaiment is a multi-billion-dollar industry that provides a huge range of products and services — from video games to film, television, books, music, theatre, and live events. As entertainment continues to evolve, it has the ability to shape public discourse and create shared meaning across a wide range of cultures. While the majority of entertainment is designed for fun and amusement, many forms also have a more serious purpose such as ceremonies, celebrations, religious festivals or satire. This collection of examples has been programmatically compiled from online sources to illustrate the current usage of the word and does not represent the views of Merriam-Webster or its editors.