encapsulate
verb
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 English (via French) from capsula, a diminutive form of the Latin noun capsa, meaning “box.” (Capsa also gave English the word case as it refers to a container or box—not to be confused with the case in “just in case,” which is a separate case.) The earliest examples of encapsulate are for its literal use, “to enclose something in a capsule,” and they 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.
Examples of encapsulate in a Sentence
Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
The event was halted after an hour due to fears about her safety, which distressingly encapsulates a tension that the trans Mayan artist has navigated for years.
—Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026
However, mold that has essentially taken root into the surface may require a more aggressive approach, such as removing the affected drywall or wood and using mold encapsulate coatings on surrounding surfaces, according to Pace.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
Those words perfectly encapsulate the intern experience.
—Chris Perry, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for encapsulate
Cite this Entry
“Encapsulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encapsulate. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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encapsulate
verb
Medical Definition
encapsulate
verb
Paul Smaglik
