encompass
verb
Simple meaning
Include in scope.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ehnkuhmpuhsSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ɛnˈkʌmpəs
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
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.”
transitive
To include within its scope; to circumscribe or go round so as to surround; to enclose; to contain.
transitive
To include completely; to describe fully or comprehensively.
transitive
To form a circle around; to encircle.
transitive
To go around, especially, to circumnavigate.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory
Used this way, encompass is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“This group encompasses a wide range of people from different backgrounds.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use encompass
- “This group encompasses a wide range of people from different backgrounds.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.