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
Francesco Vezzoli has been making provocative and genre-breaking art—encompassing film and video, embroidery, sculpture, and photography; and often playing with notions of celebrity, glamour, and spectacle—for more than three decades.
—Corey Seymour, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2025
By my definition, any objective response to this question would have to encompass a range of possibilities, including the chance of AI not catching on at all.
—Vauhini Vara, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2025
Visual storytelling encompasses a great deal of traditional and folkloric art, and has also played a role in many local art scenes across the continent.
—Literary Hub, 8 Dec. 2025
Keweenaw National Historic Park encompasses sites throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula features heritage sites on the area's copper mining history.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encompass
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Corey Seymour, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2025
By my definition, any objective response to this question would have to encompass a range of possibilities, including the chance of AI not catching on at all.
—Vauhini Vara, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2025
Visual storytelling encompasses a great deal of traditional and folkloric art, and has also played a role in many local art scenes across the continent.
—Literary Hub, 8 Dec. 2025
Keweenaw National Historic Park encompasses sites throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula features heritage sites on the area's copper mining history.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encompass
Cite this Entry
“Encompass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encompass. Accessed 13 Dec. 2025.
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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