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:
It’s understood that Cosby and his wife, Camille, spend a majority of their time at their enormous Shelburne Falls, Mass., estate, which is made up of multiple properties that encompass more than 600 acres.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 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
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
The figure does not encompass all cyclosporiasis infections arising from other causes.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
The men in particular had showed a fixation on hunting animals that, in Penelope’s worst imaginings, nearly threatened to encompass the “wild wolf children” Lord Fredrick had bragged about finding on his property.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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
Wenger has been in a role which encompasses data analysis of the game, Fifa's online training and youth competitions since 2019.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
This encompasses an estimated 18 million school-aged children.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
“The primary suite encompasses the entire upper level, offering a peaceful sanctuary complete with two walk-in closets and treetop views,” the listing notes.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 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
That district had been Tennessee's 9th, which encompassed Memphis and was reliably won by Democrats.
From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026
The list also encompassed a greater pool of owners than those who will ultimately be taxed—about 960,000 properties out of roughly 3.7 million units in the city.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
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
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
“We shall say quite frankly that if noncooperation and passive resistance constitute high treason, then we are guilty. But these are plainly not encompassed in the law of treason.”
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
The smart consumer electronics segment encompassing smartphones contributed about one-third of the top line.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Mamdani’s office said this list was just a starting point and was far more encompassing than who would ultimately face the tax.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 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
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
The distances between islands of the Tongan archipelago, as well as the distances between Tonga and neighboring archipelagoes, were sufficiently modest that a multi-island empire encompassing 40,000 people was eventually established.
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.
