regalement

Regalement is a noun used to describe the act of regaling someone or the state of being regaled. It denotes entertaining lavishly, often through food, drink, stories, or performances, and the pleasure those acts provide. In English, regalement is a formal or literary term and is relatively rare in everyday speech.

The word originates from the French verb regaler, meaning to feast or to delight someone, with the noun form conveying the associated pleasure and hospitality. In usage, regalement emphasizes generosity and abundance in entertaining guests, and may appear in historical or stylistically elevated prose. For example, a royal court might be described as offering regalement to visiting dignitaries, or a banquet as a scene of regalement for attendees.

In modern English, speakers more commonly use regale as a verb or simpler nouns such as feast, entertainment, or hospitality. Regalement thus tends to appear in historical narratives, classical literature, or rhetoric that aims for an antiquated or formal tone. The term is related to, but distinct from, the adjective regal (royal, majestic) and the noun régal (a delicacy or treat) in French usage.

See also: regale (to entertain), regalia (royal symbols), regal (royal). The concept aligns with ideas of hospitality and splendor, but regalement remains a relatively specialized, infrequently used term in contemporary English.