encompass
Americanverb (used with object)
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encompasses,
present (3rd person singular)
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encompassed,
past participle, past
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encompassing
present participle
verb
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to enclose within a circle; surround
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to bring about; cause to happen; contrive
he encompassed the enemy's ruin
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to include entirely or comprehensively
this book encompasses the whole range of knowledge
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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encompasssimple
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encompassessimple
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have encompassedperfect
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has encompassedperfect
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am encompassingprogressive
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are encompassingprogressive
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is encompassingprogressive
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have been encompassingperfect progressive
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has been encompassingperfect progressive
Past
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encompassedsimple
-
had encompassedperfect
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was encompassingprogressive
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were encompassingprogressive
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had been encompassingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of encompass
Explanation
Encompass means to contain. When you see the word, picture a campus which encompasses lecture halls, a football field, a medical center, a dining hall and some parking lots. Encompass can be used when talking about anything that contains something else. A lecture on Edward Hopper might encompass all aspects of his life and art, a work of art could encompass many techniques, and a policeman's jurisdiction may encompass an entire state. The continental U.S. encompasses 48 states. This entry encompasses many examples of the word encompass in use!
Vocabulary lists containing encompass
Born a Crime
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The Things They Carried
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The daily analysis has evolved over the years to encompass “common suppliers, common customers,” and even ”which stocks are grouped together in passive vehicles,” McNerney said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
Rather than explain how a leaner fish or one packed in oil might change the cake, the recipe simply expands to encompass nearly anything.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
Italy on Thursday called for Spain's suspension from the Schengen zone -- a system of open borders that encompass 29 European countries that have officially abolished frontier controls at their common borders.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
While pharmacy and digital sales were strong, identical sales–which encompass in-store revenue–fell 0.8%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
A sudden, hard wind swirled up around them, and the monster spread its arms out wide, so wide they seemed to reach to opposite horizons, so wide they seemed big enough to encompass the world.
From "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness
Archosaurs, in turn, are the lineage that encompasses two of the best-known groups of terrestrial vertebrates: crocodiles and dinosaurs, including birds.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
This encompasses an estimated 18 million school-aged children.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
The analysts note that the U.S. government data encompasses all companies, public and private, so they conclude that profit and revenue from abroad are generally in the same proportion.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
"I've never felt like my last name reflected the love that encompasses my life," Hannah says.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
"It encompasses all that is made, unmade, and yet to be made."
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
That district had been Tennessee's 9th, which encompassed Memphis and was reliably won by Democrats.
From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026
The area encompassed by the geofence can be larger than several football fields.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
Sales for the latest quarter, which encompassed the key holiday-shopping period, were $30.45 billion, down 1.5%, with same-store sales down 2.5%.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 3, 2026
The judge also found that executive orders issued by Trump had relied on a definition of antisemitism that encompassed First Amendment-protected speech — the same definition recommended by the Massachusetts Commission.
From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2025
Standing on the wide veranda that encompassed the obsidian clock tower, Celaena tried not to shiver.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
The smart consumer electronics segment encompassing smartphones contributed about one-third of the top line.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Denning describes culture as encompassing values, norms, judgments, history, communities, moods, and even relationships involving power and care.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
New Zealand and India announced Saturday a strategic partnership encompassing defence and security, during a landmark visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
The southwestern region of Honam -- a traditional liberal stronghold encompassing Gwangju and the Jeolla provinces -- has long lagged behind the more industrialised southeast.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Like Tonga, Hawaii became a political entity encompassing several populous islands, but one confined to a single archipelago because of its extreme isolation.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
