Article

The word entertainment has a wide range of meanings: it can be an agreeable distraction or diversion, like solving the daily crossword puzzle; it can involve a performance, such as the clown at your child’s birthday party, Broadway show, or stadium rock concert; it can be an activity for children, such as play, and in particular a form of education. The root word is derived from the old French entretenir, meaning ‘to support’ or ‘hold together’; it was originally associated with hospitality and later became a synonym for amusement. Entertaiment is occasionally abbreviated to entmt, often in headlines or industry news publications where space is at a premium.