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

Each edition has encapsulated different social groups or subcultures in gridded portraits, showing their similarities and differences of dress and demeanor. — Monica Kim, Vogue, "We11Done Went From Seoul to Berlin—To Make the World’s Chicest Bus Stop," 12 Dec. 2018 The split television screens encapsulated the absurdity of it all. — Ben Wedeman, CNN, "The dream of 'peace in our time' in the Middle East died on Monday," 14 May 2018 Neither race nor class nor race and class combined can so efficiently encapsulate the kind of social hierarchy, prejudice and inequality that marginalized Americans experience. — Subramanian Shankar, Houston Chronicle, "Do we have a caste system in Houston and America?," 26 Jan. 2018 The drama in London resonates little in a place that encapsulated the Brexit rebellion. — Rodney Jefferson, Bloomberg.com, "The City That Defined Brexit Has Given Up," 21 June 2018 And there’s one beloved family story that has always encapsulated his dad’s unquenchable zest for life. — Pam Kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Father, sons finish canoe trip 43 years later," 16 June 2018 Key to the concept is making the audience part of the small-town community encapsulated in the show. — Charles Passy, WSJ, "Oh, What a Beautiful Chili—a Taste of Dinner Theater at ‘Oklahoma!’," 9 Apr. 2019 Both as a celebration of the Metrograph’s anniversary and the launch of their new distribution project, Metrograph Pictures, Thursday night’s soirée perfectly encapsulated what makes the theater so special. — Keaton Bell, Vogue, "The Coolest New Yorkers Came Out to Celebrate the Metrograph Theater's Third Birthday," 25 Mar. 2019 That’s a multifaceted improvement plan for a complex problem, one too nuanced to be encapsulated in just one sound bite. — Rich Campbell, chicagotribune.com, "Jordan Howard's criticism of 'basic' offense highlights Bears' complex problem," 1 Feb. 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.