encyclopedic

adjective

en·​cy·​clo·​pe·​dic in-ˌsī-klə-ˈpē-dik How to pronounce encyclopedic (audio)
: 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
encyclopedically adverb

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
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.
His ringmaster’s charisma, chameleonic voices, and occasionally viral socio-anarchist zingers work in concert with his encyclopedic knowledge of Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition to qualify him as arguably the greatest Dungeon Master alive. Eric Francisco, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025 The fact that this vibrant, voracious, wonderful raconteur with an encyclopedic knowledge of his subject would die from Alzheimer’s seems all the sadder, with no hope anyone could possibly replace him. John Mariani, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for encyclopedic

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of encyclopedic was in 1824

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Cite this Entry

“Encyclopedic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encyclopedic. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

encyclopedic

adjective
en·​cy·​clo·​pe·​dic
variants also encyclopaedic
in-ˌsī-klə-ˈpēd-ik
1
: of or relating to an encyclopedia
2
: covering a wide range of subjects
encyclopedic knowledge

More from Merriam-Webster on encyclopedic

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