encapsulate

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verb en·cap·su·late \in-ˈkap-sə-ˌlāt, en-\

Definition of encapsulate

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

play \in-ˌkap-sə-ˈlā-shən, en-\ noun

See encapsulate defined for English-language learners

See encapsulate defined for kids

encapsulate was our Word of the Day on 10/29/2011. Hear the podcast!

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 of encapsulate from the Web

The first period encapsulated the series: Nashville had more shots on goal, but Pittsburgh scored more goals.

— ben shpigel, New York Times, "While Nashville Parties, the Predators Cut Loose", 4 June 2017
The roughly 100-mile stretch encompassing the park, private land and two towns, all patrolled by the same sector headquarters of CBP, encapsulates how much the Border Patrol mission can vary -- and how a cookie cutter solution is misguided.

— tal kopan, CNN, "Where Trump's border rhetoric meets reality", 3 June 2017
As arranged by former CSO music director Artur Rodzinski, the 25-minute suite encapsulates the finest music from this treasurable opera, and the Chicago Symphony gave it its most sumptuous attention.

— john von rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Guest conductor Juraj Valcuha holds CSO in firm command", 2 June 2017
Price's debut show encapsulates her love of photography, travel and her father.

— laura demarco, cleveland.com, "Victoria Price visits Cleveland for art show, Luxe dinner and lecture inspired by father Vincent Price", 1 June 2017
Michelle's breezy pants, white top, and equally glamorous shades encapsulated the same Obamas-on-vacation feel.

— christine flammia, Esquire, "Obama's Post-POTUS Style Keeps Getting Better", 23 May 2017
High-resolution video encapsulates the Taurus in a simulated city with other vehicles and pedestrians that respond to the driver's actions.

— wired staff, WIRED, "Spinning Wheels in Iowa", 1 Apr. 1994

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'encapsulate'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Encapsulate and its related noun, "capsule," derive from "capsula," a diminutive form of the Latin noun capsa, meaning "box." "Capsa" also gave us our noun "case" (the container kind; the legal sense has a different origin). The original sense of encapsulate, meaning "to enclose something in a capsule," first appeared in the late 19th century. Its extended meaning, "to give a summary or synopsis of something," plays on the notion of a capsule as something compact, self-contained, and often easily digestible (as in a capsule of medicine). There is also a verb "capsule," which is more or less synonymous with "encapsulate."

First Known Use of encapsulate

1872

ENCAPSULATE Defined for English Language Learners

encapsulate

play

verb

Definition of encapsulate for English Language Learners

: to show or express the main idea or quality of (something) in a brief way
: to completely cover (something) especially so that it will not touch anything else