encyclopedia

[ en-sahy-kluh-pee-dee-uh ]
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noun
  1. a book, set of books, optical disc, mobile device, or online informational resource containing articles on various topics, usually in alphabetical arrangement, covering all branches of knowledge or, less commonly, all aspects of one subject.

  2. Encyclopedia, the French work edited by Diderot and D'Alembert, published in the 18th century, distinguished by its representation of the views of the Enlightenment.

Origin of encyclopedia

1
First recorded in 1525–35; from New Latin encyclopaedia, from Greek enkyklopaidía, a misreading of enkýklios paideía “circular (i.e., well-rounded) education”; see encyclical, pedo-1
  • Sometimes en·cy·clo·pae·di·a .

Words Nearby encyclopedia

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How to use encyclopedia in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for encyclopedia

encyclopedia

encyclopaedia

/ (ɛnˌsaɪkləʊˈpiːdɪə) /


noun
  1. a book, often in many volumes, containing articles on various topics, often arranged in alphabetical order, dealing either with the whole range of human knowledge or with one particular subject: a medical encyclopedia

Origin of encyclopedia

1
C16: from New Latin encyclopaedia, erroneously for Greek enkuklios paideia general education, from enkuklios general (see encyclical), + paideia education, from pais child

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012