encompass

verb

en·com·pass | \ in-ˈkəm-pəs

, en- also -ˈkäm-\

encompassed; encompassing; encompasses

Definition of encompass

transitive verb

1a : include, comprehend a plan that encompasses a number of aims

b : envelop

2a : to form a circle about : enclose

b obsolete : to go completely around

3 : bring about, accomplish encompass a task

Other Words from encompass Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about encompass

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of encompass in a Sentence

The district encompasses most of the downtown area. a neighborhood encompassed by a highway

Recent Examples on the Web

In exchange, the interior secretary awarded the two men no-bid oil leases encompassing several of the richest oil fields in the world. — Andrew Coan, WSJ, "Why Robert Mueller’s Predecessors Usually Didn’t Prevail," 25 Jan. 2019 Over the years, the elementary project continued to grow and encompassed ever more apps and ever more customizations for the desktop. — Scott Gilbertson, Ars Technica, "A tour of elementary OS, perhaps the Linux world’s best hope for the mainstream," 28 Dec. 2018 Altitude sickness, also called mountain sickness, is a term encompassing three distinct conditions that occur at high elevations. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "What Exactly Is Altitude Sickness?," 20 Dec. 2018 Sewell is a House Democrat representing Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District, an area encompassing Selma and parts of Montgomery and Birmingham. — Ella Nilsen, Vox, "The fight for voting rights is personal for Rep. Terri Sewell," 11 Dec. 2018 Last year, 125 companies were recognized as Top Workplaces in the Baltimore region, encompassing the city and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. — baltimoresun.com, "Deadline extended for nominations for the Top Workplaces in the Baltimore region," 14 July 2018 IceCube, an international observatory run by 300 scientists from 12 countries, consists of more than 5,000 sensitive photomultiplier tubes embedded in grid encompassing a cubic kilometer of ice at the South Pole. — Dennis Overbye, New York Times, "It Came From a Black Hole, and Landed in Antarctica," 12 July 2018 Isaac Babcock Yankeetown sits on the north bank of the Withlacoochee River, with boundaries actually extending three miles into the Gulf of Mexico, encompassing eight square miles of dry land and 13 square miles of estuarine and marine habitat. — Amy Green, miamiherald, "With Gov. Scott and legislature in denial, tiny town adapts on its own to climate change," 11 July 2018 From 2000 to 2017, the city obtained injunctions against 79 gang sets, encompassing roughly 8,900 people. — James Queally, latimes.com, "Trump’s claim that California is soft on crime comes as the state moves away from injunctions, once key to the war on gangs," 8 July 2018

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