encyclopedia

English

The National Scientific Publishers encyclopedia (Polish)

Alternative forms

Etymology

From New Latin encyclopaedia (“general education”), from Renaissance Ancient Greek ἐγκυκλοπαιδεία (enkuklopaideía, “education in the circle of arts and sciences”), a mistaken univerbated form of Koine Greek ἐγκύκλιος παιδείᾱ (enkúklios paideíā, “education in the circle of arts and sciences”), from ἐγκύκλιος (enkúklios, “circular”) + παιδείᾱ (paideíā, “child-rearing, education”).

Pronunciation

  • (Canada) IPA(key): /ənˌsəɪ.kləˈpi.di.ə/
  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ɪnˌsaɪ.kləˈpi(ː).di.ə/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -iːdiə
  • Hyphenation: en‧cy‧clo‧pe‧dia

Noun

encyclopedia (plural encyclopedias or encyclopediae or encyclopediæ)

  1. A comprehensive reference work (often spanning several printed volumes) with articles (usually arranged in alphabetical order, or sometimes arranged by category) on a range of subjects, sometimes general, sometimes limited to a particular field.
    I only use the library for the encyclopedia, as we’ve got most other books here.
    His life's work was a four-volume encyclopedia of aviation topics.
  2. (dated) The circle of arts and sciences; a comprehensive summary of knowledge, or of a branch of knowledge.

Usage notes

The spelling encyclopedia is standard in American English, preferred in Canadian English, accepted in Australian and International English, and also very common in British English. It is more common than encyclopaedia, for example, in UK newspapers on Google News in 2009 by a 7:3 margin.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Further reading

  • encyclopedia in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
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