encompass definition

English

WOTD – 22 August 2006

Alternative forms

incompass (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English encompassen, equivalent to en- +‎ compass.

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈkʌmpəs/, /ən-/
(US) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈkʌmpəs/, /-ˈkɑmpəs/, /ɛn-/
Audio (US) (file)
Audio (AU) (file)
Hyphenation: en‧com‧pass

Verb

encompass (third-person singular simple present encompasses, present participle encompassing, simple past and past participle encompassed)

(transitive) To form a circle around; to encircle.
(transitive) To include within its scope; to circumscribe or go round so as to surround; to enclose; to contain.
Synonym: embrace
- c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene i:
  his piercing inſtruments of ſight:
  Whose fiery circles beare encompaſſed
  A heauen of heauenly bodies in their Spheares:
(transitive) To include completely; to describe fully or comprehensively.
This book on English grammar encompasses all irregular verbs.

Synonym: (now rare) comprehend
(transitive) To go around, especially, to circumnavigate.
Drake encompassed the globe.

Related terms

encompassment

Translations

encircle

Bulgarian: обкръжавам (bg) (obkrǎžavam)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 包围 (zh) (bāowéi)
Finnish: ympäröidä (fi)
French: encercler (fr)
Georgian: გარშემოვლება (garšemovleba)
German: umschließen (de), umgeben (de), umfassen (de)
Gothic: 𐌱𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌱𐌾𐌰𐌽 (biwaibjan)
Greek: περικυκλώ (perikykló)
Irish: timpeallaigh
Italian: circondare (it)
Middle English: compassen
Polish: otaczać (pl) impf, otoczyć (pl) pf
Portuguese: cercar (pt), circundar (pt)
Russian: окружа́ть (ru) impf (okružátʹ), окружи́ть (ru) pf (okružítʹ)
Sanskrit: वेवेष्टि (sa) (veveṣṭi)
Spanish: circundar (es)
Swedish: inringa (sv)

surround

Bulgarian: обхващам (bg) (obhvaštam), заобикалям (bg) (zaobikaljam)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 围绕 (zh)
Danish: omfatte
Dutch: omvatten (nl)
Faroese: fevna um
Finnish: ympäröidä (fi), sisältää (fi)
French: entourer (fr)
Georgian: გარშემორტყმა (garšemorṭq̇ma)
German: umfassen (de), enthalten (de), einschließen (de)
Greek: περικλείω (el) (perikleío), περιβάλλω (el) (perivállo)
Ancient: περιέχω (periékhō)
Icelandic: felast
Italian: racchiudere (it), comprendere (it)
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: dorpêç kirin (ku)
Middle English: encompassen, compassen
Norwegian:
Bokmål: omfatte (no)

Nynorsk: omfatta
Old English: bebūgan
Portuguese: rodear (pt), circundar (pt), conter (pt)
Russian: охва́тывать (ru) (oxvátyvatʹ), охвати́ть (ru) pf (oxvatítʹ)
Sanskrit: वेवेष्टि (sa) (veveṣṭi)
Spanish: rodear (es), circundar (es)
Swedish: omfatta (sv)

include

Bulgarian: включвам (bg) (vključvam), съдържам (bg) (sǎdǎržam)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 包含 (zh) (bāohán)
Czech: zahrnovat (cs)
Danish: omfatte, indeholde (da), inkludere (da), indbefatte (da)
Dutch: bevatten (nl)
Esperanto: ampleksi
Finnish: käsittää (fi), sisältää (fi)
French: englober (fr), inclure (fr), comprendre (fr), renfermer (fr)
Georgian: მოიცავს (moicavs), მოცვა (mocva)
German: umfassen (de), beinhalten (de), abdecken (de)
Greek: περιλαμβάνω (el) (perilamváno)
Italian: includere (it), racchiudere (it), circoscrivere (it)
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: hindirrandin (ku), hewandin (ku)
Middle English: compassen
Norwegian:
Bokmål: omfatte (no), inneholde, inkludere
Polish: obejmować (pl) impf
Portuguese: compreender (pt), abarcar (pt), englobar (pt)
Russian: включа́ть (ru) impf (vključátʹ), включи́ть (ru) pf (vključítʹ), заключа́ть (ru) impf (zaključátʹ), заключи́ть (ru) pf (zaključítʹ), содержа́ть (ru) impf (soderžátʹ)
Spanish: abarcar (es), englobar (es)
Swedish: omfatta (sv), innehålla (sv), inkludera (sv)

References

“encompass”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
“encompass”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

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