The followingoutline provides an overview of and topical guide to entertainment and the entertainment industry:
Entertainment is any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in theirleisure time, and may also providefun, enjoyment, and laughter. People may create their own entertainment, such as when they spontaneously invent a game; participate actively in an activity they find entertaining, such as when they playsport as a hobby; or consume an entertainment product passively, such as when they attend a performance.
Theentertainment industry (informally known asshow business orshow biz) is part of thetertiary sector of the economy and includes many sub-industries devoted toentertainment. However, the term is often used in themass media to describe the mass media companies that control the distribution and manufacture of mass media entertainment. In the popular parlance, the termshow biz in particular connotes the commercially popular performing arts, especiallymusical theatre,vaudeville,comedy,film,fun, andmusic. It applies to every aspect of entertainment includingcinema,television,radio,theatre, andmusic.