encompass

verb

en·​com·​pass in-ˈkəm-pəs 

en-

also -ˈkäm-

encompassed; encompassing; encompasses

transitive verb

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

That success soon mushroomed into an empire encompassing toys, games, animations and all manner of consumer gewgaws.

—Charlie Campbell

2

a

: envelop

A thick fog encompassed the city.

b

: to form a circle about : enclose

a small village encompassed by mountains

c

obsolete : to travel completely around

3

dated : bring about, accomplish

… Jiu Jitsu, the … art of making an opponent use his strength to encompass his own defeat.

—TIME

encompassment

in-ˈkəm-pə-smənt 

en-

also -ˈkäm-

noun

Synonyms of encompass

• surround
• encircle

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

This image, snapped by the European Space Agency's IRIDE satellite fleet back in May of this year, shows the Venetian Lagoon, a bay of the Adriatic Sea that encompasses the city of Venice. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Pinalli’s assortment encompasses 400 brands across the fragrance, skin care and makeup categories, which add to a fast-growing private label range. — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026

In Utah, only specialty tobacco retail locations with a specific license that encompasses kratom can sell it. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026

So the additional episodes will be able to encompass more of those stories. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Rhymes for encompass

• compass
• rumpus

Kids 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

encompassment

-mənt 

noun