encyclopedias

noun

plural of encyclopedia
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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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of encyclopedias The ban won’t cover online encyclopedias, or educational or scientific directories. — Samuel Petrequin, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026 The ban won’t cover online encyclopedias, educational or scientific directories. — ABC News, 21 July 2026 The ban won’t cover online encyclopedias, educational or scientific directories, or platforms for the development and sharing of open-source software. — Samuel Petrequin, Fortune, 20 July 2026 The cheap paperbacks with yellowed pages, outdated cookbooks, and encyclopedias can be tossed. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 June 2026 Holmquist traces his devotion to history back to age 7, when his parents bought him a set of encyclopedias. — Jim Dudlicek, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026 Google didn’t have to persuade people that typing a question into a search bar was better than navigating directories or flipping through encyclopedias. — Ira Belsky, Forbes.com, 20 Mar. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encyclopedias
  1. books
  2. dictionaries
  3. catalogs
Noun
  • Between tuition, books, supplies and all the other costs that arrive with a new academic year, transportation is one area where students and families may be looking to save.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The government also plans to increase the use of physical books in classrooms, part of a wider effort to pull back from digital technology that has included banning smartphones in schools and proposing a social-media ban for children under 16.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of books
Noun
  • Most dictionaries do not even list the meaning—’to kill’—that the government now proposes.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 27 July 2026
  • Christmas hams, party cocktails, elegant layer cakes, and cookout classics fill the dictionaries of Southern family recipes, but one of my favorites is a simple vinaigrette from my grandmother.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 2 July 2026
Definition of dictionaries
Noun
  • The investment follows deals Stability AI has struck with UMG, WMG and Electronic Arts to build new AI models using the companies’ respective collection of catalogues and intellectual property.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Gardening catalogs sell aggressive boot scrapers and floor mats to clean shoes.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of catalogs

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Cite this Entry

“Encyclopedias.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encyclopedias. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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