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
Kristin Shaw, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Mazda has also developed a new generation of infotainment system for the CX-5, joining the growing list of automakers that have adopted Google's Android Automotive OS and Google automotive services.
—ArsTechnica, 10 July 2025
To activate it, drivers use the infotainment screen and encounter Gear Guard, the brand’s mascot, before using a touchscreen slider.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 10 July 2025
The version shown on June 29 was a prototype, so not ready for production, but the model potential customers hope to see next year won’t include many of the accoutrements — infotainment systems being a notable absence — that modern-day car buyers have come to expect.
—Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for infotainment
Cite this Entry
“Infotainment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infotainment. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share