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:
A wildfire in Big Sur has burned 2,000 acres, spurred evacuations that encompass the Nepenthe restaurant and the Alila Ventana resort, and closed state parks in the area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The daily analysis has evolved over the years to encompass “common suppliers, common customers,” and even ”which stocks are grouped together in passive vehicles,” McNerney said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 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
Italy on Thursday called for Spain's suspension from the Schengen zone -- a system of open borders that encompass 29 European countries that have officially abolished frontier controls at their common borders.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Loyally, it tried to encompass the concept and half a dozen coils burnt out.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
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
Some criticism of the situation has involved concerns over the Schengen Area - an agreement which eliminates border checks and now encompasses more than 450 million people and 29 countries in Europe.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Beth Pinsker writes the Fix My Portfolio column, which encompasses investing, tax and retirement planning, healthcare expenses, estate planning and more.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
This encompasses an estimated 18 million school-aged children.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
It completely encompasses the distant tree, making it glow a hot blue-white and causing the surrounding air to crackle with electricity.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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
The deal encompassed a $1-billion investment by Disney in OpenAI.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 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
When they got close, they saw that the fire encompassed an entire block.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
The region encompassing Europe, the Middle East and Africa has so far raised only $16 billion, flat compared with last year.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 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
Warsh has also been adamant about reducing Fed communications, and has promised a thorough review encompassing speeches, press conferences, the so-called dot plot of inflation forecasts, and even policy meeting transcripts and minutes.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Its clients include private-equity and venture-capital firms as well as their fund investors, such as pension funds and sovereign-wealth funds, encompassing more than $5.9 trillion in client invested capital across some 15,000 funds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 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.
