Entertaiment is a word that can be difficult to define. It has become a multi-billion dollar industry, and it can be found everywhere from an individual selecting entertainment from an ever-growing array of pre-recorded products; to the specialized ambiance created for parties and banquets; to performances intended for thousands; to a satirical cartoon or political meme. It has a wide definition that includes communication between text and audience, an external stimulus, pleasure, and passivity.
The word entertainment derives from the medieval Latin inter tenere, and its roots are in the Indo-European ten, meaning to stretch out. T E News, Fall 2011: What Is Entertainment?