What Is Entertaiment?

Entertaiment is entertainment viewed through the lens of commercialization, audience-centricity, and emotional response. It can take the form of art, music, sports, video games, literature, and much more. It can also be an important form of relaxation and mental stimulation, helping to reduce cortisol levels and improve mood. People might prefer different forms of entertainment depending on their mood; a comedy show when they are in a bad mood, for example, or a thought-provoking documentary when they want to be challenged.

These examples are automatically gathered and programmatically curated from online sources, as well as from the Merriam-Webster Collocations Dictionary. As such, they may not always reflect the opinions of our editors.

The word entertainment is derived from the Latin intertenere, which means “to hold inside.” It is closely related to entertain and amuse.