Meaning & use
entertainment
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Meanings
noununcountable
Shows, films, music, games and other activities that people watch or take part in for enjoyment.
Grammar: Uncountable: live entertainment; say a form of entertainment, not an entertainment.
Patterns
- entertainment for someone
- a form of entertainment
The hotel provides live entertainment every evening.
Television was their main source of entertainment.
The festival offers entertainment for the whole family.
noununcountable
The enjoyment or amusement you get from watching or doing something.
Grammar: Often follows for or as: for entertainment.
Patterns
- for entertainment
- provide entertainment
The magician did tricks for the guests' entertainment.
They read aloud for entertainment on long drives.
The game gave endless entertainment to the children.
noununcountablebusiness
The industry that produces films, music, television and other leisure products.
Grammar: Often used before a noun: the entertainment industry.
Patterns
- the entertainment industry
She works in the entertainment business as a producer.
The entertainment industry employs many actors and technicians.
He writes for an entertainment website.
noununcountableformal
The act of welcoming and looking after guests, especially with food and drink.
Grammar: A formal use, as in the entertainment of guests.
Patterns
- the entertainment of guests
The mayor's budget covers the entertainment of foreign visitors.
Hotels spend much on the entertainment of clients.
The lavish entertainment of the guests lasted until dawn.
Word forms
| plural | entertainments |
|---|
Common combinations
- live entertainment
- The restaurant offers live entertainment on Fridays.
- form of entertainment
- Reading is her favorite form of entertainment.
- entertainment industry
- The entertainment industry is changing fast.
- provide entertainment
- Clowns provided entertainment at the party.
- home entertainment
- They spent money on a home entertainment system.
- source of entertainment
- The old radio was a source of entertainment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- amusement
- Amusement is lighter and suggests fun or laughter, while entertainment covers organized shows as well.
- recreation
- Recreation means leisure activities you do yourself, whereas entertainment is often something provided to you.
- diversion
- Diversion is a pastime that takes your attention away from worries, and it sounds a little old-fashioned.
- fun
- Fun is casual and general, while entertainment suggests something planned or performed.
Opposites
Word family
- entertain verb
- to amuse or host people
- entertainer noun
- a person who performs for an audience
- entertaining adjective
- amusing and enjoyable
- entertainingly adverb
- in an amusing way
Commonly confused: entertainment or entertaining?
entertainment vs entertaining
Entertaining is an adjective for something amusing, while entertainment is the noun for the activity or industry.
Practice
Which sentence uses entertainment correctly?
Choose one answer.
Entertainment is normally uncountable, so free entertainment is natural. An entertainment sounds wrong because the word does not usually take an article.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “entertainment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.