The word entertaiment has evolved to encompass a wide range of activities, from an individual who selects entertainment for private viewing or listening from a rapidly expanding array of pre-recorded products; through banquets and parties of almost any kind, to performances that might be intended for thousands. Some of these may have a serious purpose, as in ceremonies, religious festivals, or satire. Click on a collocation for more examples. These examples are programmatically compiled from corpora and may not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors.