encompass
Americanverb (used with object)
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
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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 figure does not encompass all cyclosporiasis infections arising from other causes.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
“I’m very interested in people who have a creative practice that might encompass objects of art, but could also fashion, costume, dance, music, performance,” Deitch said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
"Roman will extend the search far enough to encompass other galactic habitats, which could help us learn how planet formation varies across different regions of the Milky Way."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026
Agentforce and Data 360, which encompass Salesforce’s AI products, reached nearly $3.4 billion in annual recurring revenue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 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
Sonically improved to levels never before achievable, and accompanied by a lavish and detailed 100-page book, the 5-CD, 118-track boxed set encompasses all of her released sides and a good many outtakes and test pressings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
“Seeing that face with all the cables and all the wires and all the things going on, it just kind of encompasses all of it and takes it right back,” he said.
From Slate ● Jul. 19, 2026
"I've never felt like my last name reflected the love that encompasses my life," Hannah says.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
This highlights the changing nature of holistic planning, which encompasses a lot more than just your funeral wishes and what happens to your most cherished possessions.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
New Guinea, though it accounts for only a small fraction of the world’s land area, encompasses a disproportionate fraction of its human diversity.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Federal charging documents said the Hoovers formed in the late 1970s with territory that largely encompassed the Figueroa corridor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Covitz has spent nearly three decades at the Fed, and his research has encompassed a range of topics on financial stability and credit markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Those struggles encompassed the time since Kroger’s $25 billion deal to buy rival Albertsons was terminated in December 2024, more than two years after it was announced.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 9, 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
The pageant and everything it encompassed was hers alone.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
Denning describes culture as encompassing values, norms, judgments, history, communities, moods, and even relationships involving power and care.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
Lilly’s chief financial officer, Lucas Montarce, told Barron’s in April that the company was focused on four main growth areas: oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and a final category encompassing cardiometabolic health and diabetes.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
This is one smart, encompassing album about the world this talented singer-songwriter inhabits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
The property is surrounded by lush landscaping and features sophisticated stone flooring encompassing the pool.
From MarketWatch ● May 18, 2026
Th e sound of the chenda mushroomed over the temple, accentuating the silence of the encompassing night.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
