encyclopedic
Americanadjective
-
pertaining to or of the nature of an encyclopedia; relating to all branches of knowledge.
-
comprehending a wide variety of information; comprehensive.
an encyclopedic memory.
- Synonyms:
- wide-ranging, exhaustive, all-inclusive, all-embracing
adjective
-
of, characteristic of, or relating to an encyclopedia
-
covering a wide range of knowledge; comprehensive
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of encyclopedic
First recorded in 1815–25; encycloped(ia) + -ic
Explanation
Something that's encyclopedic includes everything — it's vast and complete. Your encyclopedic knowledge of insects means you can identify every single bug you come across. You're most likely to find the adjective encyclopedic describing the word knowledge. If your knowledge about any subject is encyclopedic, it means you know as much about it as an encyclopedia — a book crammed full of information — could tell you. In fact, encyclopedic comes from encyclopedia, a modern Latin word that's based on a misreading of the Greek enkyklios paideia as "general education." The phrase actually means "training in a circle."
Vocabulary lists containing encyclopedic
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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.
He describes “Pepperpot City” as “an impressionistic journey . . . condensing my more than forty-five years of exploring Philadelphia’s encyclopedic culinary history.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Chu’s 15-person team also has an encyclopedic knowledge about where to get what they need and whom to ask at a moment’s notice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
His knowledge of the best strategies for various markets is encyclopedic, and it is backed by rigorous benchmark analysis.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
Hundreds of watches, an encyclopedic knowledge of the movie and its production, a worn-out DVD copy hanging on by a thread, and a whole career later, I still owe it everything.
From Salon ● May 1, 2026
They have an encyclopedic understanding of their opponents: how they like to race, when they are likely to start sprinting, when they like to lie in wait.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
