An activity that occupies the attention of a person, or a group of people. Entertainment may be for a single person, who chooses to watch a film, or listen to music or play a game; for a couple at a dinner party or other celebration; or for a large audience, as in a theater performance or sports event. Entertainment often has a lighthearted or amusing aspect, but it can also be serious, as in ceremonies, festivals, or political or religious events.
The word entertainment derives from the Medieval Latin intertenere, which means “to hold inside.” The Latin ten, from the Indo-European root ten, meant to stretch or extend.