The word "captivating" comes from the verb "captivate," which entered English in the late 16th century from the Late Latin "captivare" meaning "to take, to capture".   This Latin term, in turn, derives from the past participle "captus" of the verb "capere" ("to take, seize") and the adjective "captivus" ("captive, prisoner"). The etymology of "captivating" shows a semantic shift from the literal meaning of physical capture to the metaphorical sense of holding someone's attention through charm or beauty. 

According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the adjective "captivating" was first used in English in 1675 by Henry More, the English philosopher, poet, and theologian.  The word captivating is derived from the verb "captivate", which entered English much earlier, in the 1520s. 

Examples of "captivating" used in a sentence:  
"Talk about a story that's just captivating people's attention." 
"Van Meene's camera tends to linger on eccentric but captivating details." 
"In this exhibition, he seems more interested in captivating viewers rather than in shocking them."  
"There's something captivating about the desert." 
"Her voice was utterly and absolutely captivating." 
"The Secretary exudes a calm, yet captivating presence." 
"He has a charming laugh and captivating smile."
"The story is a captivating fairy tale." 

Just the facts:

CAPTIVATING Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

CAPTIVATING Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus