Entertaiment is a form of amusement that may involve almost any activity that appeals to the senses, and which can be used for public or private enjoyment. It includes anything from an intimate dinner for two to a banquet for thousands. Many of these activities are now a part of a vast and varied cultural industry that can be adapted to almost any scale, from the personal enjoyment of music or films through digital distribution and file sharing, to the staging of elaborate theatrical events and performances.
The word entertain comes from the Latin inter tenere, which means “to hold inside.” Its Indo-European root is ten, meaning to stretch or lengthen.