encyclopedic
adjective
en·cy·clo·pe·dic
in-ˌsī-klə-ˈpē-dik 
: of, relating to, or suggestive of an encyclopedia or its methods of treating or covering a subject : comprehensive
an encyclopedic mind
an encyclopedic collection of armor
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In Greek, paidaea meant not simply "child-rearing" but also "education", and kyklios meant "general;" thus, an encyclopedia is a work broad enough to provide a kind of general education. The world's most eminent general encyclopedia, the Encyclopaedia Britannica, is a huge work that covers every field of human knowledge. But encyclopedic doesn't have to refer to books; it's often used to describe the wide-ranging knowledge that certain types of minds just can't stop acquiring.
Synonyms
Examples of encyclopedic in a Sentence
She published an encyclopedic study of ancient Egypt.
The event was described in encyclopedic detail.
his almost encyclopedic knowledge of movies
Recent Examples on the Web
To create this specificity, Jones pulled from his voracious and encyclopedic knowledge of music theory and music history.
—
Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024
Their encyclopedic offerings are not as important when people going to work don’t want to vary their clothing.
—Richard Kestenbaum, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
The depth of the five-episode series benefits from Greenfield’s encyclopedic approach.
—Jason Parham, WIRED, 18 Oct. 2024
The show quickly became a weekly go-to for gays with an encyclopedic knowledge of RuPaul’s Drag Race and Taylor Swift.
—Sarah Burke, Them, 23 Oct. 2024
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Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024
Their encyclopedic offerings are not as important when people going to work don’t want to vary their clothing.
—Richard Kestenbaum, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
The depth of the five-episode series benefits from Greenfield’s encyclopedic approach.
—Jason Parham, WIRED, 18 Oct. 2024
The show quickly became a weekly go-to for gays with an encyclopedic knowledge of RuPaul’s Drag Race and Taylor Swift.
—Sarah Burke, Them, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for encyclopedic
Dictionary Entries Near encyclopedic
Cite this Entry
“Encyclopedic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encyclopedic. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.
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