encyclopedia meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

encyclopedia

noun

UK /ɪnˌsaɪkləˈpiːdi.ə/ · US /ɪnˌsaɪkləˈpidi.ə/

Etymology Borrowed from New Latin encyclopēdīa, encyclopaedīa (“general education”), a univerbated form of Koine Greek ἐγκύκλιος παιδείᾱ (enkúklios paideíā, “education in the circle of arts and sciences”), from Ancient Greek ἐγκύκλιος (enkúklios, “circular”) + παιδείᾱ (paideíā, “childrearing; education”) (q.v.). Nearly all modern English usage of the word was influenced by the scope and format of the French Encyclopédie by Diderot et al. (see quotation).

A comprehensive reference work (often spanning several printed volumes) with articles (usually arranged in alphabetical order, or sometimes arranged by category) on a range of subjects, sometimes general, sometimes limited to a particular field.

I only use the library for the encyclopedia, as we’ve got most other books here.
My old encyclopedia has been gathering dust on the shelf for the past decade.

4 more examples

The Encyclopedia which we are presenting to the public is, as its title declares, the work of a society of men of letters. Were we not of their number, we might venture to affirm that they are all favorably known or worthy of being so.1751, Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert, “Discours Préliminaire”, in Richard N. Schwab, Walter E. Rex., transl., Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, volume 1, Paris, pages 1–45; republished as “Preliminary Discourse”, in The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert Collaborative Translation Project (Web), Ann Arbor: Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library, 18 April 2009:
The first encyclopædia written in English and with the articles alphabetically arranged was the ‘Lexicon Technicum,’ […] [in 1704], by John Harris, a London clergyman. This was a useful and popular work, though it omitted from its scope theology, biography, antiquity and poetry.1920, George Edwin Rines, editor, Encyclopedia Americana^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Encyclopedia_Americana_(1920)), Volume X: Egusquiza – Falsetto, Encyclopædia:
It would be easier to compile an encyclopedia for you than to write these longhand letters whose ink blackens the night.1998, “Desire”, in Billy Collins (lyrics), Tom Cipullo (music), Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House, performed by Matthew Morris (baritone) and Sungha Lee (pianist), Pepperdine University, Los Angeles: SongFest:
[The Origins] can best be summarized, maybe, as an encyclopedia in the guise of an etymological dictionary, by a writer already centuries removed from some of his material.2018 May 20, Bill Thayer, “Isidore of Seville: The Etymologies (or Origins)”, in LacusCurtius, archived from the original on 13 Jul 2012:

Similarly comprehensive works in other formats.

Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit.
The ancient Mesopotamians never got to write an encyclopedia on stone.

3 more examples

To gain market share, Microsoft gave away its CD-ROM encyclopedia with many new computers, a strategy similar to those it has used in other areas.2009 April 15, Reid Goldsborough, “Internet Encyclopedias in Flux”, in InformationToday, archived from the original on 14 Aug 2024:
The anniversary also coincides with the 25th anniversary of Britannica Online (eb.com), the first encyclopedia on the Internet and one of the first major publications on the World Wide Web.2018 December 6, Encyclopaedia Britannica Group, “Encyclopaedia Britannica to Mark 250th Anniversary and 25th Year on the Internet”, in PR Newswire, Cision US Inc., archived from the original on 05 Dec 2024:
The New Georgia Encyclopedia, which describes itself as “the first state encyclopedia designed exclusively for online publication,” went live in 2004.2019 September 23, Esther Ferington, “Online State Encyclopedias”, in NEH Projects, National Endowment for the Humanities, archived from the original on 29 Mar 2025:

Dated, Specifically The circle of arts and sciences (see Etymology); a comprehensive summary of knowledge, or of a branch thereof.

His life's work is a four-volume encyclopedia of aviation topics.
I have no idea how to build this model railroad, so I'm gonna look it up on Trainpedia, the encyclopedia for all things model train.

3 more examples

Daniel Bukszpan presents for your viewing and reading pleasure, The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal. […] I see my own life reflected in the pages of the Encyclopedia. We all wanted to be bigger than life, but never as big as our heroes.2003, Ronnie James Dio, “Foreword”, in Daniel Bukszpan, The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal (Paperback), United States: Sterling, →ISBN, page 13:
All of the Indo-European languages treated in this encyclopedia are included in the alphabetic list of families and other large groupings in the last section of this article.2006, B. J. Blake, “Classification of Languages”, in Keith Brown, Sarah Ogilvie, editors, Concise Encyclopedia of Languages of the World (eBook), La Trobe University, Bundoora: Elsevier Ltd., →ISBN, Genetic Classification, page 246; republished Amsterdam: Elsevier Science, 2010:
Since the publication of the second edition of the encyclopedia, there have been numerous developments in the obesity and eating disorders field.2009, Dana K. Cassell and David H. Gleaves, “FOREWORD”, in The Encyclopedia of Obesity and Eating Disorders, Third Edition (eBook), Ukraine: Facts On File, Inc., →ISBN, page viii:

Derived terms: encyclopedial, encyclopedialike, encyclopedian, encyclopedic, encyclopedical, encyclopedic dictionary, encyclopedic fiction, encyclopedist, -pedia, walking encyclopedia, Wikipedia, xenoencyclopedia
Related terms: paideia, Paidia, -pedia, pedo-, dictionary, pandect