encompass

WOTD – 22 August 2006    

English

Etymology

en- +‎ compass

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

encompass (third-person singular simple present encompasses, present participle encompassing, simple past and past participle encompassed)

1. (transitive) To form a circle around; to encircle.
2. (transitive) To include within its scope; to circumscribe or go round so as to surround; to enclose; to contain.
3. (transitive) To include completely; to describe fully or comprehensively.

   This book on English grammar encompasses all irregular verbs.

4. (transitive) To go around, especially, to circumnavigate.

   Drake encompassed the globe.

Synonyms

The terms below need to be checked and allocated to the definitions (senses) of the headword above. Each term should appear in the sense for which it is appropriate. Use the template {{sense|"gloss"}}, substituting a short version of the definition for "gloss".

• comprehend
• embrace
• include

Related terms

• encompassment

Translations

encircle

• Bulgarian: обкръжавам (bg) (obkrǎžavam)
• Finnish: ympäröidä (fi)
• French: encercler (fr)

• Georgian: გარშემოვლება (ka) (garšemovleba)
• Italian: circondare (it)
• Swedish: inringa (sv)

surround

• Bulgarian: обхващам (bg) (obhvaštam), заобикалям (bg) (zaobikaljam)
• Dutch: omvatten (nl)
• Finnish: ympäröidä (fi), sisältää (fi)
• French: entourer (fr)
• Georgian: გარშემორტყმა (ka) (garšemortqma)
• German: umfassen (de)
• Italian: racchiudere (it), comprendere (it)

• Kurdish: dorpêç kirin (ku)
• Old English: bebūgan (ang)
• Portuguese: rodear (pt), circundar (pt), conter (pt)
• Spanish: rodear (es), circundar (es)
• Swedish: omfatta (sv)

include

• Bulgarian: включвам (bg) (vključvam), съдържам (bg) (sǎdǎržam)
• Czech: zahrnovat (cs)
• Dutch: bevatten (nl)
• Finnish: käsittää (fi), sisältää (fi)
• French: englober (fr), inclure (fr), comprendre (fr), renfermer (fr)
• Georgian: მოიცავს (ka) (moic’avs), მოცვა (ka) (moc’va)

• German: umfassen (de)
• Italian: includere (it), racchiudere (it)
• Kurdish: hindirrandin (ku), hewandin (ku)
• Portuguese: compreender (pt), abarcar (pt), englobar (pt)
• Spanish: abarcar (es), englobar (es)
• Swedish: omfatta (sv), innehålla (sv), inkludera (sv)

References

• encompass in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• encompass in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913