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
The indictment against Martin encompasses 29 charges in all, from conspiring to provide material to terrorists, to murder-for-fire, child exploitation and cyberstalking.
—Mike Levine, ABC News, 18 Nov. 2025
The artist cited her Bengali heritage as an influence on her multidisciplinary approach to creativity, encompassing dance, music and acting.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Nov. 2025
The new galleries near the Great Hall are one of two initiatives with the second one encompassing the activation of the museum’s 83rd Street and Fifth Avenue entrance and re-imagining The Met’s dining and retail spaces including The Met Store.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 17 Nov. 2025
The maps enacted by Gibson create a new district encompassing Salt Lake City that would be 62% Democratic, based on the 2024 presidential results.
—Caroline Linton, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encompass
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mike Levine, ABC News, 18 Nov. 2025
The artist cited her Bengali heritage as an influence on her multidisciplinary approach to creativity, encompassing dance, music and acting.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Nov. 2025
The new galleries near the Great Hall are one of two initiatives with the second one encompassing the activation of the museum’s 83rd Street and Fifth Avenue entrance and re-imagining The Met’s dining and retail spaces including The Met Store.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 17 Nov. 2025
The maps enacted by Gibson create a new district encompassing Salt Lake City that would be 62% Democratic, based on the 2024 presidential results.
—Caroline Linton, CBS News, 17 Nov. 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 26 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share