encapsulate

verb

en·​cap·​su·​late in-ˈkap-sə-ˌlāt 

en-

encapsulated; encapsulating

transitive verb

1

: to enclose in or as if in a capsule

a pilot encapsulated in the cockpit

2

: epitomize, summarize

encapsulate an era in an aphorism

intransitive verb

: to become encapsulated

encapsulation

in-ˌkap-sə-ˈlā-shən 

en-

noun

Did you know?

We’ll keep it brief by encapsulating the history of this word in just a few sentences. Encapsulate and its related noun, capsule, come to us from capsula, a diminutive form of the Latin noun capsa, meaning “box.” (Capsa also gave us the “container” or “box” meaning of the noun case.) The earliest examples of encapsulate are for its literal use (“to enclose something in a capsule”) and date to the late 19th century. Its extended meaning, “to give a summary or synopsis of something,” plays on the notion of a capsule being something compact, self-contained, and often easily digestible.

Synonyms

• abstract
• boil down
• brief
• digest
• epitomize
• outline
• recap
• recapitulate
• reprise
• sum up
• summarize
• synopsize
• wrap up

Examples of encapsulate in a Sentence

The contaminated material should be encapsulated and removed.

can you encapsulate the president's speech in about a paragraph?

Recent Examples on the Web

Decades later, the picture remains evocative, encapsulating the idealized mystique of everything a rock & roll session is supposed to look like. —Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2025

Purple Mémoire is an ode to this idyllic space and aims to encapsulate a summer-time spent amid the flowers. —Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025

When President Donald Trump went to Charlevoix, Canada, in 2018 for a meeting of the world’s wealthiest nations, the visit was encapsulated by one photo. —Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 16 June 2025

The eight-episode sequel season will premiere in November 2025 and run through spring of 2026, encapsulating both the Christmas and Easter holidays. —Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for encapsulate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

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Kids Definition

encapsulate

verb

en·​cap·​su·​late in-ˈkap-sə-ˌlāt 

encapsulated; encapsulating

1

: to enclose in a capsule

2

: to tell or relate (as a report) in a few words

encapsulation

-ˌkap-sə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

encapsulate

verb

en·​cap·​su·​late in-ˈkap-sə-ˌlāt 

encapsulated; encapsulating

transitive verb

: to surround, encase, or protect in or as if in a capsule

DNA has been encapsulated in microspheres

—Paul Smaglik

intransitive verb

: to become encapsulated

a bacillus that encapsulates in the human body

encapsulation

-ˌkap-sə-ˈlā-shən 

noun