entertain

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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɛntəˈteɪn/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌɛntɚˈteɪn/, [ˌɛɾ̃ɚˈtʰeɪn]
• Hyphenation: en‧ter‧tain

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪn

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

1. (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.

2. (transitive and intransitive) To have someone over at one's home for a party or visit.

   They enjoy entertaining a lot.

   • Bible, Heb. xiii. 2

     Be not forgetful to entertain strangers […]

3. (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

   • De Quincey

     I am not here going to entertain so large a theme as the philosophy of Locke.

   • Hawthorne

     A rumour gained ground, — and, however absurd, was entertained by some very sensible people.

4. (obsolete) To take or keep in one's service; to maintain; to support; to harbour; to keep.
   • Shakespeare

     You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred.

5. (obsolete) To meet or encounter, as an enemy.
   • Shakespeare

     O noble English, that could entertain with half their forces the full pride of France

6. (obsolete) To lead on; to bring along; to introduce.
   • Jeremy Taylor

     to baptize all nations, and entertain them into the services and institutions of the holy Jesus

• entertainer
• entertaining
• entertainment

entertain (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) Entertainment; pleasure.
2. (obsolete) Reception of a guest; welcome.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, IV.8:

     But neede, that answers not to all requests, / Bad them not looke for better entertayne […].

• entertain in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• entertain in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• entertain at OneLook Dictionary Search

• Tarentine, Terentian, antienter