encapsulate

verb

en·cap·su·late | \ in-ˈkap-sə-ˌlāt

, en-\

encapsulated; encapsulating

Definition of encapsulate

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

Other Words from encapsulate Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about encapsulate

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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."

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

Basking in the sun shouldn't involve toiling over a few words that encapsulate your summer beach day. — Blake Bakkila, Good Housekeeping, "30 Best Summer Instagram Captions for All of Your Sun-Kissed Photos," 4 Mar. 2019 Yet, their ruthlessness encapsulated the fearlessness running through the camp at this present moment, and, maybe, what was even more telling was the way in which England roared to their highest-scoring win at the World Cup in the country’s history. — SI.com, "90min World Cup Fan Diaries: England's Start Shows Why Fans Religiously Follow Three Lions," 25 June 2018 La Prairie isn’t shy about the luxury factor—their product lines are named Skin Caviar and Platinum Rare, after-all—and that’s encapsulated in these lush creams. — Sally Holmes, Marie Claire, "La Prairie's New $655 Cream Contains Ingredients From the Stars," 28 Feb. 2019 The new ship-killer is designed to leave a submarines encapsulated in a torpedo. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Iran Shows off Unusual Ship-Killing Torpedo/Missile Combination," 28 Feb. 2019 Its name encapsulates its multicultural concept, and means a public place for people to meet. — Kate Klausner, Vogue, "Bon Appétit Brings the Country’s Hottest Culinary Talent to Brooklyn," 18 Oct. 2018 Their pursuit is a daily grind and obsession, encapsulated by this three-game series in April against Virginia. — Gentry Estes, The Courier-Journal, "Chasing Omaha: 3 days inside Louisville baseball's latest bid for the College World Series," 2 May 2018 In Season 4, Episode 13 of The Vampire Diaries, McRitchie says Caroline encapsulates the trope of a heroine in need of rescue. — Marilyn La Jeunesse, Teen Vogue, ""The Originals" Characters Klaus and Caroline Show Signs of an Abusive Relationship," 18 Apr. 2018 The Verdict: Red Dead Redemption II is a technical marvel, attempting to encapsulate one man’s story in the West. — Daniel Starkey, Ars Technica, "Red Dead Redemption II review: Getting muddy in the wide-open frontier," 25 Oct. 2018

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.