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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 — Samuel Petrequin, Fortune, 20 July 2026 The cheap paperbacks with yellowed pages, outdated cookbooks, and encyclopedias can be tossed.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
  • Most self-help books say anger and grudges are self-defeating — there’s that line everybody uses that holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.
    — Lane Brown, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Numerous books written by women who fled the FLDS community provide autobiographical and critical accounts of the group.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of books
Noun
  • From burritos to dictionaries, brands are already comparing a slew of foldable items to the new iPhone Duo.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Most dictionaries do not even list the meaning—’to kill’—that the government now proposes.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 27 July 2026
Definition of dictionaries
Noun
  • Like many independent production houses, WTFN has opted for an integrated production and sales arm, as the market shifts continues to shift in favor of companies with deep catalogs and IP.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Now several of them are licensing their catalogs to those same companies, and the deals are starting to turn into products.
    — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 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 26 Sep. 2026.

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