encapsulate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
encapsulates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
encapsulated,
past participle, past
-
encapsulating
present participle
-
to place in or as if in a capsule.
-
to summarize or condense.
verb (used without object)
-
encapsulates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
encapsulated,
past participle, past
-
encapsulating
present participle
verb
-
to enclose or be enclosed in or as if in a capsule
-
(tr) to sum up in a short or concise form; condense; abridge
Usage
What does encapsulate mean? To encapsulate figuratively means to summarize or condense, as in Rhia encapsulated the three-hour lecture into a 20-minute video. When you encapsulate something, you can still see the clear vision of what is being summarized but in a shorter time or with less effort. Movie trailers should encapsulate the movie (without giving away the ending, thank you very much). And when you use multiple skills to create something, such as a product, you could that product encapsulates your talents. To encapsulate literally means to place in a capsule or as if in a capsule, such as a dose of medicine placed inside a gelatinous case. Example: This interview really encapsulates the feelings that most of our patients have toward the new treatment.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
encapsulatesimple
-
encapsulatessimple
-
have encapsulatedperfect
-
has encapsulatedperfect
-
am encapsulatingprogressive
-
are encapsulatingprogressive
-
is encapsulatingprogressive
-
have been encapsulatingperfect progressive
-
has been encapsulatingperfect progressive
Past
-
encapsulatedsimple
-
had encapsulatedperfect
-
was encapsulatingprogressive
-
were encapsulatingprogressive
-
had been encapsulatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of encapsulate
Explanation
To encapsulate something is to sum it up in shorter form — to summarize something. When you see the word encapsulate, think about trying to put your comic book collection inside one tiny capsule — all of them wouldn't fit, so you'd have to pick out just your favorites or the most valuable ones. Encapsulating means condensing something down into its most important parts, so you just get the gist of it. Cliff's Notes encapsulate longer books. If you tell a friend about your summer vacation, you better encapsulate it or you'll be there for hours.
Vocabulary lists containing encapsulate
Every Day
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Mandela's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Address
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Robin Williams (1951-2014) Tribute List
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Below are five bits that encapsulate his run as one of late-night’s most self-deprecating hosts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
Either in the colours of Manchester United or Northern Ireland, the highlights of his career encapsulate why many who saw him still argue he was the best player ever.
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
Micron and Sandisk, plus Western Digital and Seagate, perfectly encapsulate momentum.
From Barron's ● Apr. 2, 2026
But even they may be stumped when faced with the gargantuan challenge of coming up with a deserving story to encapsulate the unique feat of producing 500 episodes of television.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
We owe to him indispensable phrases which encapsulate powerful arguments, such as ‘unintended consequence’ and ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’; one of his phrases, ‘role model’, has moved out of the university into daily speech.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
"Space control encapsulates the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain -- employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities," the statement said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
“It really encapsulates everything,” said Craig Copeland, director of wealth research at EBRI, who wrote the report.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
While Parton’s most obvious Muppet counterpart is Miss Piggy, her duet with Kermit the Frog, performed on a 1987 episode of her variety show, encapsulates everything we adored about her — and him.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
“That’s what we’ve been searching for for quite some time. And today, I thought the at-bat that really kind of encapsulates who we are is the Muncy at-bat.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Its outer walls are made entirely of rounded glass, but a circular tube of dark metal encapsulates the glass walls.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
"The cancer cells are really encapsulated within these areas of macrophages and fibroblasts that we think act as shields for these dormant cancer cells," said Maria.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026
That sentence perfectly encapsulated Freedom to Marry’s “road map to victory” strategy, which had aimed at changing hearts and minds in order to deliver the change in law and politics needed.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
Isabella Wanningen, 22, a computer science student who worked on the energy functions of the car, said the vehicle's name encapsulated the team's hopes for the impact.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Yet it encapsulated what supporting this England team was about.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
In an impressive display of engineering savvy, the Cahokians encapsulated the slab, sealing it off from the air by wrapping it in thin, alternating layers of sand and clay.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
But they did produce fascinating scenes reminiscent of a bygone era, encapsulating the essence and charm of the FA Cup's history.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2026
Tesla, a notoriously volatile stock, has moved an average of about 6% up or down the week encapsulating the prior four quarterly reports, in line with history.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
YouTube – once known as a place for amateur user-generated videos has become an entertainment powerhouse, encapsulating the largest percentage of streaming on U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2025
“Because we’re simply drying, densifying, and encapsulating, it doesn’t need to be a particular ash content or heating level or anything like that.”
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2024
One argument, "Don't programmers deserve a reward for their creativity," earned a response encapsulating Stallman's anger over the recent Gosling Emacs episode: "If anything deserves a reward, it is social contribution," Stallman wrote.
From Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software by Sam Williams
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.
