encompass
verb
en·com·pass
in-ˈkəm-pəs 
en-
also -ˈkäm-
encompassed; encompassing; encompasses
1
: to include as a part of a whole or group
a plan that encompasses a number of aims
The ranch encompasses more than 2,500 acres of prime forest …—
Stuart D. Strahl
Stuart D. StrahlThat success soon mushroomed into an empire encompassing toys, games, animations and all manner of consumer gewgaws.—Charlie Campbell
Charlie Campbell2
3
dated
: bring about, accomplish
… Jiu Jitsu, the … art of making an opponent use his strength to encompass his own defeat.—TIME
TIMEExamples of encompass in a Sentence
The district encompasses most of the downtown area.
a neighborhood encompassed by a highway
Recent Examples on the Web
Absolutely, say the co-authors of a new statewide hiking guide that encompasses more than 1,000 Sunshine State trails.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2026
The menu is ever changing, always encompassing new flavors as the seasons change.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 May 2026
And while the baseballs encompass many different players and teams, the man from Pittsburgh never forgot about his hometown Buccos.
—Christopher Derose, CBS News, 23 May 2026
An evacuation zone centered at the GKN Aerospace plant on Western Avenue in Garden Grove and extending out to encompass portions of six cities has been in place for more than a day, as crews sought to clear the area to protect residents from a potential explosion and chemical fallout.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for encompass
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Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2026
The menu is ever changing, always encompassing new flavors as the seasons change.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 May 2026
And while the baseballs encompass many different players and teams, the man from Pittsburgh never forgot about his hometown Buccos.
—Christopher Derose, CBS News, 23 May 2026
An evacuation zone centered at the GKN Aerospace plant on Western Avenue in Garden Grove and extending out to encompass portions of six cities has been in place for more than a day, as crews sought to clear the area to protect residents from a potential explosion and chemical fallout.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for encompass
Cite this Entry
“Encompass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encompass. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
encompass
verb
en·com·pass
in-ˈkəm-pəs
-ˈkäm-
1
: to form a circle about : surround
2
a
: to cover or surround especially so as to hide or protect
b
: to take in as a part : include
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