encyclopedia

noun

en·​cy·​clo·​pe·​dia in-ˌsī-klə-ˈpē-dē-ə 

: a work that contains information on all branches of knowledge or treats comprehensively a particular branch of knowledge usually in articles arranged alphabetically often by subject

Examples of encyclopedia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Pliny the Elder’s Natural History is a go-to source for understanding what ancient Romans believed about the world and the model for every encyclopedia since. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 5 Mar. 2025

Olbermann, a baseball encyclopedia with a sense of humor, was the perfect host. —Paul Sullivan, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2025

Before his death in 1963, the scholar W.E.B. DuBois spent decades trying to publish an encyclopedia about the histories and cultures of people of African descent. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2025

All kinds of essays, narratives, stories, encyclopedias, poems, and the like are scrutinized in a mathematical and computational fashion to ferret out the nature of human writing. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin encyclopaedia course of general education, from Greek enkyklios + paideia education, child rearing, from paid-, pais child — more at few

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for encyclopedia

• cyclopaedia
• cyclopedia
• hypermedia
• intermedia
• multimedia
• comedia
• commedia
• encyclopaedia

Kids Definition

encyclopedia

noun

en·​cy·​clo·​pe·​dia

variants also encyclopaedia

in-ˌsī-klə-ˈpēd-ē-ə

: a work that contains information on all subjects or one that covers a certain subject thoroughly usually with articles arranged alphabetically

Etymology

from Latin encyclopedia "course of general education," from Greek enkyklios "general, all-around," literally, "circular" and Greek paideia "education, child rearing"