encyclopedia

Sometimes en·cy·clo·pae·di·a

[en-sahy-kluh-pee-dee-uh]

noun

1. a book, set of books, optical disc, mobile device, or online informational resource containing articles on various topics, usually in alphabetical arrangement, covering all branches of knowledge or, less commonly, all aspects of one subject.

2. Encyclopedia, the French work edited by Diderot and D'Alembert, published in the 18th century, distinguished by its representation of the views of the Enlightenment.

encyclopedia

/ ɛnˌsaɪkləʊˈpiːdɪə /

noun

1. a book, often in many volumes, containing articles on various topics, often arranged in alphabetical order, dealing either with the whole range of human knowledge or with one particular subject

   a medical encyclopedia

Word History and Origins

Origin of encyclopedia¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from New Latin encyclopaedia, from Greek enkyklopaidía, a misreading of enkýklios paideía “circular (i.e., well-rounded) education”; encyclical, pedo- ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of encyclopedia¹

C16: from New Latin encyclopaedia, erroneously for Greek enkuklios paideia general education, from enkuklios general (see _encyclical ), + paideia education, from pais child

Example Sentences

For many, it is the modern-day encyclopedia—a site written and edited by volunteers that aims to offer, as Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales once said, free access to “the sum of all human knowledge.”

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It’s an extraordinary tool—camera, compass, communicator, encyclopedia, studio, lifeline.

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It’s easy to imagine the same kid in an elementary school library, reading about these things in the World Book encyclopedia during a rainy recess.

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I loved reading books about dogs as a kid, whether they were encyclopedias of breeds or classics like “Hank the Cowdog.”

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When the job of a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman was disrupted because of the rise of online search, those workers pivoted to selling other products, Colella said.

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