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
Josh Max, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
For many others, CarPlay abruptly drops its connection with the infotainment system.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
No matter the powertrain chosen, each car's infotainment ecosystem is loaded with AI technology.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
For the 2025 model year, the Tahoe gets a standard 17.7-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
—Josh Max, Forbes, 5 Mar. 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 16 Apr. 2025.
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