Adjacent Words

Encompass definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ENCOM'PASS, v.t. [from compass.] To encircle; to surround; as, a ring encompasses the finger.
1. To environ; to inclose; to surround; to shut in. A besieging army encompassed the city of Jerusalem.
2. To go or sail round; as Drake encompassed the globe.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory; "This group encompasses a wide range of people from different backgrounds"; "this should cover everyone in the group" [syn: embrace, encompass, comprehend, cover]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb Etymology: Middle English Date: 14th century 1. a. to form a circle about ; enclose b. obsolete to go completely around 2. a. envelop b. include, comprehend <a plan that encompasses a number of aims> 3. bring about, accomplish <encompass a task> • encompassment noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 surround or form a circle about, esp. to protect or attack. 2 contain. Derivatives: encompassment n.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Encompass En*com"pass, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Encompassed; p. pr. & vb. n. Encompassing.] To circumscribe or go round so as to surround closely; to encircle; to inclose; to environ; as, a ring encompasses the finger; an army encompasses a city; a voyage encompassing the world. --Shak. A question may be encompassed with difficulty. --C. J. Smith. The love of all thy sons encompass thee. --Tennyson. Syn: To encircle; inclose; surround; include; environ; invest; hem in; shut up.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(encompasses, encompassing, encompassed) 1. If something encompasses particular things, it includes them. His repertoire encompassed everything from Bach to Schoenberg. = embrace VERB: V n 2. To encompass a place means to completely surround or cover it. The map shows the rest of the western region, encompassing nine states. VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Surround, environ, compass, gird, engird, belt, encircle, enclose. 2. Invest, beset, besiege, surround, hem in, wall in, lay siege to.

Moby Thesaurus

accouple, accumulate, add, admit, agglutinate, amalgamate, amass, articulate, assemble, assimilate, associate, band, beleaguer, beset, besiege, blend, blockade, bond, bound, box in, bracket, bridge, bridge over, cage, carry, cement, chain, chamber, circle, circuit, circuiteer, circulate, circumambulate, circummigrate, circumnavigate, circumvent, clap together, close, close in, close the circle, coalesce, collect, combine, come full circle, come together, compass, compass about, complete, compound, comprehend, comprise, concatenate, conglobulate, conjoin, conjugate, connect, consolidate, contain, coop, coop in, coop up, copulate, cordon, cordon off, corral, count in, couple, cover, cycle, delimit, describe a circle, embay, embody, embosom, embrace, encircle, enclasp, enclose, enfold, enshrine, envelop, environ, envisage, enwrap, extend, fence in, fill, fill in, fill out, flank, flux, fuse, gather, gird, girdle, girdle the globe, glue, go, go about, go around, go out, go round, go the round, gyre, harass, harry, have, hedge in, hem, hem in, hold, house in, impound, imprison, incarcerate, include, incorporate, integrate, interblend, interfuse, invest, involve, jail, join, kennel, knot, lap, lay siege to, lay together, league, leaguer, lie, link, lump together, make a circuit, make one, marry, marshal, mass, meld, melt into one, merge, mew, mew up, mix, mobilize, number among, occupy, orbit, pair, pen, pen in, piece together, pocket, put together, quarantine, rail in, range, reach, reach out, receive, reckon among, reckon in, reckon with, reembody, revolve, ring, roll into one, round, run, shade into, shrine, shut in, shut up, skirt, soften up, solder, solidify, span, spiral, splice, spread, stable, stick together, straddle, stretch, stretch out, subsume, surround, sweep, syncretize, syndicate, synthesize, take in, take into account, take into consideration, take up, tape, thrust out, tie, unify, unite, wall in, weld, wheel, wrap, yard, yard up, yoke