encyclopedic
adjective
en·cy·clo·pe·dic
in-ˌsī-klə-ˈpē-dik 
: of, relating to, or suggestive of an encyclopedia or its methods of treating or covering a subject : comprehensive
an encyclopedic mind
an encyclopedic collection of armor
Did you know?
In Greek, paidaea meant not simply "child-rearing" but also "education", and kyklios meant "general;" thus, an encyclopedia is a work broad enough to provide a kind of general education. The world's most eminent general encyclopedia, the Encyclopaedia Britannica, is a huge work that covers every field of human knowledge. But encyclopedic doesn't have to refer to books; it's often used to describe the wide-ranging knowledge that certain types of minds just can't stop acquiring.
Examples of encyclopedic in a Sentence
She published an encyclopedic study of ancient Egypt.
The event was described in encyclopedic detail.
his almost encyclopedic knowledge of movies
Recent Examples on the Web
The rosters and player pools are larger than in any other seasonal fantasy game, and most of the best managers and analysts have an encyclopedic knowledge of relevant statistics.
—
Scott Engel, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
Dom Clemons Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook
Dom Flemons, a co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, brings his encyclopedic grasp of American folk and roots music to The Kate.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2025
Case is far from encyclopedic; this isn’t one of those books that charts a neat narrative path from album to album.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2025
Michelle had encyclopedic knowledge of what had been made and remade on the coast after each of the hurricanes — most notably Katrina, which decimated this part of Mississippi in 2005.
—Cinelle Barnes, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encyclopedic
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Scott Engel, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
Dom Clemons Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook
Dom Flemons, a co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, brings his encyclopedic grasp of American folk and roots music to The Kate.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2025
Case is far from encyclopedic; this isn’t one of those books that charts a neat narrative path from album to album.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2025
Michelle had encyclopedic knowledge of what had been made and remade on the coast after each of the hurricanes — most notably Katrina, which decimated this part of Mississippi in 2005.
—Cinelle Barnes, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encyclopedic
Cite this Entry
“Encyclopedic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encyclopedic. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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