encyclopedia
or en·cy·clo·pae·di·a
[ en-sahy-kluh-pee-dee-uh ]
/ ɛnˌsaɪ kləˈpi di ə /
noun
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.
(initial capital letter)
the French work edited by Diderot and D'Alembert, published in the 18th century, distinguished by its representation of the views of the Enlightenment.
Origin of encyclopedia
1525–35; < New Latin
encyclopaedia < Greek
enkyklopaidía, a misreading of
enkýklios paideía circular (i.e., well-rounded) education. See
encyclical,
pedo-1
Words nearby encyclopedia
encumber,
encumbrance,
encumbrancer,
ency.,
encyclical,
encyclopedia,
encyclopedic,
encyclopedism,
encyclopedist,
encyst,
encysted calculus
Example sentences from the Web for encyclopedia
British Dictionary definitions for encyclopedia
encyclopedia
encyclopaedia
/ (ɛnˌsaɪkləʊˈpiːdɪə) /
noun
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 Origin for encyclopedia
C16: from New Latin
encyclopaedia, erroneously for Greek
enkuklios paideia general education, from
enkuklios general (see
encyclical), +
paideia education, from
pais child