What is Entertaiment?

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Entertaiment: A clown at a birthday party, a Broadway show, your friends fighting over the last potato chip—all of these and more are examples of entertainment. It’s amusement that involves a performance, whether it’s theatrical (a show), visual (like art) or audio. It can be geared to any size audience—from one person choosing their own private entertainment to a party geared for two, to an event aimed at thousands.

The word entertain comes from the Latin inter-tenere, which means “hold inside.” Its root is ten, which is the same as the Indo-European word for “stretch.” Entertainment has become a way of life, and it’s changing how we live our lives. It even stimulates our brain to release seratonin and dopamine. It’s part of how our brain was evolved to understand the world.