The evolution of entertainment demonstrates an endless capacity for creative remix. Its familiar forms can be adapted to suit any scale: from an individual who chooses from an enormous range of pre-recorded products available for his or her own private entertainment; to a banquet or feast adapted for two; to performances intended for thousands or even global audiences. Entertainment can be fun and light-hearted, but it can also have serious purpose, as in ceremonial occasions, religious festivals, or satire for example.

The word entertainment comes from the Latin inter tenere, meaning ‘to hold inside.’ The Indo-European root is ten, meaning ‘to stretch’.