Entertaiment is a broad term and can include anything from watching television or a movie to participating in a dance class. However, entertainment is not only about enjoyment and amusement; it can also be used to educate or inform, and it has the potential to create social change. This article examines the many facets of entertainment and the ways it continues to evolve.
The word entertainment derives from the Medieval Latin intertenere, combining the prefix inter (“inside”) and the suffix tenere (to hold). Its roots are also found in the words for bowel or intestine through the verb enteron. It is now a powerful force that can bring joy or stimulate learning, but it can also have negative consequences if not regulated.