encompass
verbUK /ɪnˈkʌmpəs/ · US /ɪnˈkʌmpəs/
Etymology From Middle English encompassen. By surface analysis, en- + compass.
1
To form a circle around; to encircle.
2
To include within its scope; to circumscribe or go round so as to surround; to enclose; to contain.
- his piercing inſtruments of ſight: Whose fiery circles beare encompaſſed A heauen of heauenly bodies in their Spheares:c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene i:
- Those trajectories encompassed absolute social extremes: the kings of France making their solemn entries into Paris through the Ludovician Arch of the Porte [...]1994, Richard Mowery Andrews, Law, Magistracy, and Crime in Old Regime Paris, page 551:
4 more examples
- In order to address the systematic, processual character of interpersonal interactions — the larger mosaic of micro-level patterns — we must postulate subapparent but encompassing structures of social activity.2017, Paul B. Stretesky, Michael J. Lynch, Radical and Marxist Theories of Crime:
- Beauty is complicated; it’s an individual response to how we live our lives – but it can also encompass kindness and compassion.2020 March 6, Catherine Opie, “Catherine Opie: ‘Beauty has to encompass more about the human condition’”, in CNN:
- In developing a new theme for this year’s rounds of Spooktober posts, we decided to look beyond the realm of strictly horror games to cover a topic that we hadn’t touched on before, one that encompasses games generally and allows for a little “outside the box” thinking. Our Spooktober theme this year is “The Horror that Surrounds.”2024 October 3, CARY, “Spooktober: The Horror that Surrounds”, in VIRTUAL BASTION:
- Mayor Andy Burnham's Bee Network already encompasses the buses and trams, and now he has his sights set on the railways.2026 March 18, Peter Plisner, “Will devolution deliver real local control?”, in RAIL, number 1057, page 44:
3
To include completely; to describe fully or comprehensively.
- This book on English grammar encompasses all irregular verbs.
4
To go around, especially, to circumnavigate.
- Drake encompassed the globe.
- Derived terms
- all-encompassing, encompassable, encompasser, encompassingly, unencompassed
- Related terms
- encompassment