envelop

verb

en·​vel·​op in-ˈve-ləp 

en-

enveloped; enveloping; envelops

transitive verb

1

: to enclose or enfold completely with or as if with a covering

2

: to mount an attack on (an enemy's flank)

envelopment

in-ˈve-ləp-mənt 

en-

noun

Synonyms of envelop

• house
• enclose
• surround
• encase
• confine
• include

Examples of envelop in a Sentence

a chronic mistrust of outsiders envelops that neighborhood, cutting it off from the rest of the city

the truth of the presidential assassination is enveloped in a dense fog of myths and conspiracy theories

Recent Examples on the Web

These terraces extend the riverside tidal park vertically, enveloping visitors in the nature that finds its home on the building's surfaces while offering spectacular views of Rotterdam. — New Atlas, 1 Aug. 2026

The stale odor immediately envelops you, erasing all the pleasant scents of your favorite soap and shampoo. — Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 28 July 2026

More than three hundred unionized workers at the Victoria & Albert Museum are set to vote on a strike action spurred by the broiling heat that has enveloped the city in recent weeks, The Guardian reports. — News Desk, Artforum, 27 July 2026

The increasing temperatures come courtesy of the slight expansion of a heat dome that has enveloped much of the central and southern Plains, the southern Rockies, the Desert Southwest and the upper Midwest. — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 27 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English envolupen, from Anglo-French envoluper, envoleper, from en- + voluper to wrap

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for envelop

• develop
• redevelop

Kids Definition

envelop

verb

en·​vel·​op in-ˈvel-əp 

: to surround and enclose completely with or as if with a covering

envelopment

-mənt 

noun