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encompass

[ en-kuhm-puh s ]
/ ɛnˈkʌm pəs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR encompass ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!
Question 1 of 10
Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.
Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.
It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.
It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of encompass

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

OTHER WORDS FROM encompass

en·com·pass·ment, nounun·en·com·passed, adjective

Words nearby encompass

encoignure, encolpion, encomiast, encomienda, encomium, encompass, encopresis, encore, encounter, encounter group, encounter session
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to encompassment

involvement, incorporation, formation, admittance, creation, success, effort, accomplishment, attainment, victory, realization, performance, deed, feat, triumph, personification, archetype, symbol, apotheosis, exemplar

Example sentences from the Web for encompassment

  • But mystery I then accepted as the only complement, the encompassment, of what we know of our life.

    Heart of Man|George Edward Woodberry

  • But her encompassment, as is so apt to be the case here, was pitiably mediocre.

    The Adventures of a Widow|Edgar Fawcett

British Dictionary definitions for encompassment

encompass
/ (ɪnˈkʌmpəs) /

verb (tr)

to enclose within a circle; surround
to bring about; cause to happen; contrivehe encompassed the enemy's ruin
to include entirely or comprehensivelythis book encompasses the whole range of knowledge

Derived forms of encompass

encompassment, noun
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