as in books
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 encyclopedias
Beginning in 1959, editors put in arduous work toward compiling the first encyclopedias written in Braille, the innovative code developed by Louis Braille in 19th century France.
—
Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 20 Dec. 2025
Instead, the eight search results ranged from a general entry about online encyclopedias to seven entries primarily about Wikipedia.
—NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
Outdated sets of children’s encyclopedias that speak in the Voice of Empire.
—Teddy Wayne
september 9, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2025
Over the years, the team at Locust Grove, 561 Blankenbaker Lane, has seen all types of books come through its doors ahead of the sale — children's books, novels, encyclopedias, self-help books and more.
—Lillian Metzmeier, The Courier-Journal, 18 Aug. 2025
Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 20 Dec. 2025
Instead, the eight search results ranged from a general entry about online encyclopedias to seven entries primarily about Wikipedia.
—NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
Outdated sets of children’s encyclopedias that speak in the Voice of Empire.
—Teddy Wayne
september 9, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2025
Over the years, the team at Locust Grove, 561 Blankenbaker Lane, has seen all types of books come through its doors ahead of the sale — children's books, novels, encyclopedias, self-help books and more.
—Lillian Metzmeier, The Courier-Journal, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encyclopedias
Noun
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At that time young adult novels were the place where there were books about female main characters who were feeling big emotions and experiencing love—romantic love and friend love—and navigating a world that felt familiar.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
8 Jan. 2026
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Every month was this parcel of books written by some of the most important names in fiction, and then all these new voices.—
Scarlett Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For many decades, dictionaries were bestsellers and seen as the authority on the English language.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
26 Dec. 2025
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Maybe our expectations for dictionaries are way too high.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Check reviews, returns, and reputable catalogs before buying.—
Erica Browne Grivas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
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The music industry has been racing to harness the latest developments in AI and protect its valuable catalogs, gradually shifting from a hostile approach to a more cooperative stance.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encyclopedias.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encyclopedias. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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