encapsulate
Americanverb (used with object)
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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)
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encapsulates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
encapsulated,
past participle, past
-
encapsulating
present participle
verb
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to enclose or be enclosed in or as if in a capsule
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(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
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encapsulatesimple
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encapsulatessimple
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have encapsulatedperfect
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has encapsulatedperfect
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am encapsulatingprogressive
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are encapsulatingprogressive
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is encapsulatingprogressive
-
have been encapsulatingperfect progressive
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has been encapsulatingperfect progressive
Past
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encapsulatedsimple
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had encapsulatedperfect
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was encapsulatingprogressive
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were encapsulatingprogressive
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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
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Mandela's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Address
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Robin Williams (1951-2014) Tribute List
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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:
Much like L.A., the artistic legacy of Lynch is difficult to encapsulate — trying to describe his work is like attempting to explain a dream.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
How do you choose just 30 artifacts from millions to encapsulate 250 years of American history?
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
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
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
In Dongguan, the life of Henry Wang encapsulates China’s rise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
There’s a show, in fact, that precisely encapsulates that experience: “South Side,” a departed Comedy Central treat that encapsulates life in Chicago in all its sweaty glory.
From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2026
So yeah, the title I think encapsulates how we’re trying to explore these different genres and all the different narrative threads in the show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
In that way, the pool encapsulates this much bigger, more abstract issue in something readers can easily envision.
From Slate ● Jun. 4, 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
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
To me that felt like it encapsulated what you were talking about with the multigenerational groups of fans that have enjoyed you guys and associate you with Long Beach.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
Above ground, the spent nuclear fuel will be encapsulated in highly corrosion-resistent copper canisters.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
The defending champion is part of a seven-way tie for the first-round lead after plotting a three-under round of 67 which encapsulated his ability to play with relentless diligence and barely a flicker of fluster.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
It was sad and beautiful and encapsulated what little I knew about their relationship.
From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs
Enjoy 1979 Wimbledon semi-finalist Tracy Austin encapsulating "the sense of history" that comes with playing on Centre Court as part of the last four at SW19.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 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.
