as in dictionary
a reference work that contains information about many different subjects or a lot of information about a particular subject
The school library's encyclopedia occupied much of the bookshelf. an encyclopedia of literature
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Recent Examples of encyclopedia
According to the Italian encyclopedia Treccani, a trattoria is generally more modest than a ristorante and is always autonomous—in other words, it's not connected to a hotel, train station, or ship.
—
Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
That framing is one example out of arguably an encyclopedia’s worth of them.
—Chelsea Clinton, Vanity Fair, 24 Feb. 2026
These talk pages are now, according to the Verge, at least five times as large as the encyclopedia itself.
—Imogen West-Knights, The Dial, 10 Feb. 2026
Whether playing banjo, guitar or the percussion instrument known as bones, Flemons is a walking encyclopedia of pre-war African-American string-band styles, blues, country and Black cowboy folk songs whose performances are wonderfully down-to-earth.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encyclopedia
Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
That framing is one example out of arguably an encyclopedia’s worth of them.
—Chelsea Clinton, Vanity Fair, 24 Feb. 2026
These talk pages are now, according to the Verge, at least five times as large as the encyclopedia itself.
—Imogen West-Knights, The Dial, 10 Feb. 2026
Whether playing banjo, guitar or the percussion instrument known as bones, Flemons is a walking encyclopedia of pre-war African-American string-band styles, blues, country and Black cowboy folk songs whose performances are wonderfully down-to-earth.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encyclopedia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encyclopedia
Noun
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The dictionary defines an excursion as a brief, pleasurable trip.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
23 Mar. 2026
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Writers are often cautioned not to hit readers over the head with the dictionary.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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According to a recent Rothschild & Co Redburn report, text-to-music platforms like Suno are reportedly generating around seven million songs per day, roughly equivalent to Spotify’s entire pre-AI catalogue every fortnight.—
Trevor Laurence Jockims,
CNBC,
22 Mar. 2026
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Carll’s full-band set was the de facto co-headliner, which drew upon his entire catalog.—
Josh Crutchmer,
Rolling Stone,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Headway delivers 15-minute summaries of 2,000+ nonfiction books with audio, quizzes, and personalized learning — all for a one-time $51 with promo code MARCH15 until March 29.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Schoolteachers are girding to address students’ questions, anger and confusion over a figure whose name and books are deeply embedded in state curriculum and celebrations.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Why robot childbirth simulators are becoming essential For decades, midwifery training relied heavily on textbooks, observation and limited hands-on practice.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Mar. 2026
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Suddenly, those who might otherwise ditch their textbooks over winter break start to cram.—
Storey Wertheimer,
NBC news,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encyclopedia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encyclopedia. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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