encompass
verb
en·com·pass
in-ˈkəm-pəs 
en-
also -ˈkäm-
encompassed; encompassing; encompasses
1
: to include as a part of a whole or group
a plan that encompasses a number of aims
The ranch encompasses more than 2,500 acres of prime forest …—
Stuart D. Strahl
That success soon mushroomed into an empire encompassing toys, games, animations and all manner of consumer gewgaws.—Charlie Campbell
2
3
dated
: bring about, accomplish
… Jiu Jitsu, the … art of making an opponent use his strength to encompass his own defeat.—TIME
Examples of encompass in a Sentence
The district encompasses most of the downtown area.
a neighborhood encompassed by a highway
Recent Examples on the Web
Au Vieux Campeur is positioned as a lifestyle brand rather than a pure fashion label, encompassing clothing, objects and everyday items such as matches.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 15 Jan. 2026
The autism spectrum encompasses a range of abilities and support needs, as well as every race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class on earth.
—Sarah Kurchak, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
Her work encompassed competition and regulatory matters, including exhibition industry response to the termination of the Paramount Consent Decrees, advocacy on copyright and trade policy, revenue and partnership development, and event management.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2026
The show also encompasses several competitive categories across genres such as comedy, crime, sports, news, business and pop culture.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encompass
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Cite this Entry
“Encompass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encompass. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
encompass
verb
en·com·pass
in-ˈkəm-pəs
-ˈkäm-
1
: to form a circle about : surround
2
a
: to cover or surround especially so as to hide or protect
b
: to take in as a part : include
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