infotainment
noun
Did you know?
Infotainment, a blend of "information" and "entertainment," first appeared in the early 1980s. Not everyone approves of "infotainment" and similar pieced-together, media-derived words (e.g., "infomercial" and "edutainment"), however. New York Times Magazine writer Joe Morgenstern referred to "infotainment" as "a plastic word, stuck together with show-biz epoxy." An editorialist for a New England newspaper called it "a nauseating word" that "has crept into the language without an invitation." Unfortunately for such detractors, the word continues to be used today. Not only that, but a new, distinct sense of the word is emerging. People in the automotive industry have recently begun using "infotainment" to refer to the state-of-the-art multimedia technologies (such as GPS systems and Internet radio) now available to drivers at the push of a button.
Examples of infotainment in a Sentence
Ars Technica, 6 Feb. 2025
Under one housing are three screens, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, 17.7-inch infotainment screen and a 12.3-inch front passenger screen.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
When the driver taps on the vehicle infotainment screen to seek a charge station, the system will locate it, map the route to the station, and reserve a slot in the user’s name.
—Mark Maynard, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025
Premium leather, state-of-the-art infotainment, and cruise control.
—New Atlas, 28 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Infotainment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infotainment. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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