encyclopedic
adjective
en·cy·clo·pe·dic
in-ˌsī-klə-ˈpē-dik 
: of, relating to, or suggestive of an encyclopedia or its methods of treating or covering a subject : comprehensive
an encyclopedic mind
an encyclopedic collection of armor
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In Greek, paidaea meant not simply "child-rearing" but also "education", and kyklios meant "general;" thus, an encyclopedia is a work broad enough to provide a kind of general education. The world's most eminent general encyclopedia, the Encyclopaedia Britannica, is a huge work that covers every field of human knowledge. But encyclopedic doesn't have to refer to books; it's often used to describe the wide-ranging knowledge that certain types of minds just can't stop acquiring.
Examples of encyclopedic in a Sentence
She published an encyclopedic study of ancient Egypt.
The event was described in encyclopedic detail.
his almost encyclopedic knowledge of movies
Recent Examples on the Web
And then there was the glass—the architect loved the flora and fauna of the city and wanted to bring it into the museum, which is not typical of your encyclopedic mausoleums to culture, walled off from the outside world.
—
Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
As a former quarterback with confidence, swagger and an encyclopedic memory of football, he is built for this.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 Feb. 2026
Unlike the specialized literary magazine and its informal cousin, the literary blog, the general-interest newspaper has a kind of noble rapacity, an encyclopedic ambition to wrap its arms around the whole of the world.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
But none, Finnegan added, could match Keane’s encyclopedic knowledge of music, whether classical, big band, jazz, pop, rock or hip-hop.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
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Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
As a former quarterback with confidence, swagger and an encyclopedic memory of football, he is built for this.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 Feb. 2026
Unlike the specialized literary magazine and its informal cousin, the literary blog, the general-interest newspaper has a kind of noble rapacity, an encyclopedic ambition to wrap its arms around the whole of the world.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
But none, Finnegan added, could match Keane’s encyclopedic knowledge of music, whether classical, big band, jazz, pop, rock or hip-hop.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encyclopedic
Cite this Entry
“Encyclopedic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encyclopedic. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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