Synonyms

encompass

American

[en-kuhm-puhs] / ɛnˈkʌm pəs /

verb (used with object)

to form a circle about; encircle; surround.

He built a moat to encompass the castle.
to enclose; envelop.

The folds of a great cloak encompassed her person.
to include comprehensively.

a work that encompasses the entire range of the world's religious beliefs.
Obsolete. to outwit.

encompass British

/ ɪnˈkʌmpəs /

verb

to enclose within a circle; surround
to bring about; cause to happen; contrive

he encompassed the enemy's ruin
to include entirely or comprehensively

this book encompasses the whole range of knowledge

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

encompassment noun
unencompassed adjective

Etymology

Origin of encompass

First recorded in 1545–55; en- ¹ + compass

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.

What it is: The University of North Carolina System encompasses 17 institutions and more than 250,000 students, including at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, considered one of best in the nation.

From Salon

And there’s a whole industry — or actually, several industries, when you consider what a bucket list might encompass — ready to accommodate us.

From MarketWatch

Here are six big reasons, encompassing dozens of little reasons.

From Los Angeles Times

Though encompassing fashion trends, the Queen's instantly recognisable style remained "very elegant, quintessentially British and restrained", says de Guitaut.

From BBC

The holding encompasses seven parcels of land and a fish pond with a private, white-sand beach.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023