encyclopedia

American  

[en-sahy-kluh-pee-dee-uh] / ɛnˌsaɪ kləˈpi di ə /

Sometimes encyclopaedia

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.

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encyclopedia British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of encyclopedia

First recorded in 1525–35; from New Latin encyclopaedia, from Greek enkyklopaidía, a misreading of enkýklios paideía “circular (i.e., well-rounded) education”; encyclical, pedo- ¹

Example Sentences

The chatbots also appeared conflicted about what role to play, shifting between acting like medical encyclopedias, life coaches and supportive friends.

From The Wall Street Journal

"It is precisely this deliberate openness and community model that upholds the neutrality and trustworthiness essential for a global encyclopedia: no single individual, company, or agenda can exert influence over the work."

From Barron's

When his parents gave him a 10-volume encyclopedia, he read the books so often that he memorized their contents and wore off their covers.

From The Wall Street Journal

He was about 12 when his family bought the first set of encyclopedias that he can remember.

From Los Angeles Times

For many, it is the modern-day encyclopedia—a site written and edited by volunteers that aims to offer, as Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales once said, free access to “the sum of all human knowledge.”

From The Wall Street Journal