Entertaiment is often abbreviated to entmt on fliers and in industry news publications, but this is not common outside of these instances. It can also be seen in short hand note taking and headlines in newspaper titles or TV news banners where space is limited.

The power of stories to entertain is demonstrated by the way that familiar tales like Scheherazade, a story from the Persian professional storytelling tradition, have inspired retellings in music (Rimsky-Korsakov, Ravel, and Szymanowski), film (Pasolini), and even video games. Entertainment can be enjoyable or challenging, but it is always an experience that promotes growth in some way.