encyclopedia

noun

en·​cy·​clo·​pe·​dia in-ˌsī-klə-ˈpē-dē-ə How to pronounce encyclopedia (audio)
: a work that contains information on all branches of knowledge or treats comprehensively a particular branch of knowledge usually in articles arranged alphabetically often by subject

Examples of encyclopedia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Billionaire Elon Musk, who was once a big fan of Wikipedia, has turned on the encyclopedia, as has White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, and even Wales’ estranged co-founder Larry Sanger, who have all claimed Wikipedia is biased. Harry Booth, Time, 9 Nov. 2025 Local artist Talita Swarts is a walking encyclopedia of the African diaspora; guests can take a VIP tour with her through everything from the building’s architecture—the shape of the main atrium was built to mimic a single corn kernel—to individual exhibition pieces. Emily Baldwin, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025 November 04, 2025 When Wikipedia was founded in 2001, the idea that people around the world could come together to create an accurate online encyclopedia covering virtually any topic seemed far-fetched. Harvard Business Review, 4 Nov. 2025 The new online encyclopedia, which suffered technical difficulties upon launch, uses xAI’s Grok large language model to pull information and supposedly prioritize objectivity. Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for encyclopedia

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin encyclopaedia course of general education, from Greek enkyklios + paideia education, child rearing, from paid-, pais child — more at few

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of encyclopedia was in 1644

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Encyclopedia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encyclopedia. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

encyclopedia

noun
en·​cy·​clo·​pe·​dia
variants also encyclopaedia
in-ˌsī-klə-ˈpēd-ē-ə
: a work that contains information on all subjects or one that covers a certain subject thoroughly usually with articles arranged alphabetically
Etymology

from Latin encyclopedia "course of general education," from Greek enkyklios "general, all-around," literally, "circular" and Greek paideia "education, child rearing"

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!