entertain

English

Etymology

From Middle English entertenen, from Middle French entretenir, from Old French entretenir, from entre (“among”) + tenir (“to hold”), from Latin inter + teneō (“hold, keep”). For the noun, compare French entretien.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɛntəˈteɪn/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˌɛntɚˈteɪn/, [ˌɛɾ̃ɚˈtʰeɪn]
Hyphenation: en‧ter‧tain
Audio (US) (file)
Rhymes: -eɪn

Verb

entertain (third-person singular simple present entertains, present participle entertaining, simple past and past participle entertained)

(transitive) To amuse (someone); to engage the attention of agreeably.
to entertain friends with lively conversation
The motivational speaker not only instructed but also entertained the audience.
(transitive and intransitive) To have someone over at one's home for a party or visit.
They enjoy entertaining a lot.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Hebrews 13:2:
  Be not forgetful to entertain strangers […]
(transitive) To receive and take into consideration; to have a thought in mind.
The committee would like to entertain the idea of reducing the budget figures.
to entertain a proposal
- 1851, Thomas De Quincey, Literary Reminiscences
  I am not here going to entertain so large a theme as the philosophy of Locke.
- 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, OCLC 223202227:
  A rumour gained ground, — and, however absurd, was entertained by some very sensible people.
(obsolete) To take or keep in one's service; to maintain; to support; to harbour; to keep.
- c. 1589–1590, Christopher Marlo[we], Tho[mas] Heywood, editor, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Ievv of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, OCLC 1121318438, Act I, [scene i]:
  Entreat 'em fair, and give them friendly speech,
  And seem to them as if thy sins were great,
  Till thou hast gotten to be entertain'd.
- c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene vi]:
  You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred.
(obsolete) To meet or encounter, as an enemy.
- 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene ii]:
  O noble English, that could entertain with half their forces the full pride of France
- 1860, British Parliament, Naval Discipline Act‎, page 1069:
  Penalty for entertaining a Deserter
(obsolete) To lead on; to bring along; to introduce.
- 1651–1653, Jer[emy] Taylor, ΕΝΙΑΥΤΟΣ [Eniautos]. A Course of Sermons for All the Sundays of the Year. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Richard Royston […], published 1655, OCLC 1051524189:
  to baptize all nations, and to entertain them into the services and institutions of the holy Jesus

Derived terms

entertainer
entertaining
entertainment

Related terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ten-‎ (1 c, 60 e)

Translations

to amuse

Azerbaijani: əyləndirmək
Belarusian: забаўля́ць impf (zabaŭljácʹ), ба́віць (be) impf (bávicʹ)
Bulgarian: забавля́вам (bg) impf (zabavljávam), развлича́м (bg) impf (razvličám)
Catalan: entretenir (ca), divertir (ca), distreure (ca)
Cornish: didhana
Czech: bavit (cs) impf
Danish: underholde, fornøje
Dutch: vermaken (nl), amuseren (nl)
Esperanto: amuzi, regali
Estonian: lõbustama
Finnish: viihdyttää (fi)
French: divertir (fr)
German: unterhalten (de)
Hebrew: בידר‎ (bidér)
Hungarian: szórakoztat (hu)
Ido: amuzar (io)
Irish: déan siamsa do, cuir siamsaíocht ar fáil do
Old Irish: ar·peti
Italian: divertire (it)
Kabuverdianu: anima, animá
Latin: remittor, oblectō
Macedonian: забавува impf (zabavuva)
Maori: whakangahau, whakapārekareka
Mirandese: adbertir, antretener
Polish: bawić (pl) impf, zabawiać (pl) impf
Portuguese: divertir (pt), entreter (pt)
Romanian: distra (ro)
Russian: развлека́ть (ru) impf (razvlekátʹ), развле́чь (ru) pf (razvléčʹ), забавля́ть (ru) impf (zabavljátʹ), позаба́вить (ru) pf (pozabávitʹ)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: за̀бављати impf, за̀бавити pf
Roman: zàbavljati (sh) impf, zàbaviti (sh) pf
Slovak: baviť impf, zabávať impf
Slovene: zabavati (sl) impf
Spanish: divertir (es), entretener (es)
Swahili: tumbuiza (sw)
Swedish: underhålla (sv), roa (sv)
Ukrainian: розважа́ти impf (rozvažáty), забавля́ти impf (zabavljáty), ба́вити (uk) impf (bávyty)
Welsh: diddori

to have over at one's home

Bulgarian: приемам гости impf (priemam gosti)
Danish: beværte, traktere
Dutch: ontvangen (nl)
French: recevoir (fr)
Greek:
Ancient: ἑστιάω (hestiáō)
Hebrew: ארח‎ (he) (eréakh)
Hungarian: vendégül lát
Latin: oblecto
Maori: whakamanuhiri, whakamanuwhiri
Polish: bawić (pl) impf, gościć (pl) impf
Russian: принима́ть госте́й impf (prinimátʹ gostéj)

to receive and take into consideration

Danish: tage under overvejelse, lege med idéen om
Esperanto: esplori (eo), konsideri, pripensi
Hungarian: megfontol (hu), fontolóra vesz (hu), foglalkozik a gondolattal, eljátszik a gondolattal
Polish: wziąć pod uwagę pf, brać pod uwagę (pl) impf

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Albanian: argëtoj (sq)
Interlingua: intertener
Japanese: 楽しませる (tanoshimaseru), 歓待する (kantaisuru), もてなす (motenasu)
Slovene: zabavati (sl)

Noun

entertain (uncountable)

(obsolete) Entertainment; pleasure.
- c. 1603 (date written), Iohn Marston, The Malcontent, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for William Aspley, […], published 1604, OCLC 1224733829, Act V, scene iii:
  And Celſo, prethee let it be thy care to night / To haue ſome pretty ſhew, to ſolemnize / Our high inſtalement, ſome muſike maſkerie: / Weele giue faire entertaine vnto Maria […]
(obsolete) Reception of a guest; welcome.
- 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938:
  But neede, that answers not to all requests, / Bad them not looke for better entertayne […]

Alternative forms

entertaine

Anagrams

Tarentine, Terentian, antienter