encyclopedia

• encyclopaedia (UK)
• encyclopædia (archaic)

From New Latin encyclopēdīa (“general education”), variant of encyclopaedīa, a univerbated form of Koine Greek ἐγκύκλιος παιδείᾱ (enkúklios paideíā, “education in the circle of arts and sciences”), from Ancient Greek ἐγκύκλιος (enkúklios, “circular”) + παιδείᾱ (paideíā, “childrearing; education”), q.v. Nearly all modern English use of the word influenced by the scope and format of Diderot & al.'s French Encyclopédie.

• (Canada) IPA^(key): /ənˌsəɪ.kləˈpi.di.ə/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɪnˌsaɪ.kləˈpi(ː).dɪə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɪnˌsaɪ.kləˈpi(ː).di.ə/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːdiə
• Hyphenation: en‧cy‧clo‧pe‧di‧a

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 is a four-volume encyclopedia of aviation topics.

2. Similarly comprehensive works in other formats.

   Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia anyone can edit.^{[citation needed]}

3. (dated) The circle of arts and sciences; a comprehensive summary of knowledge, or of a branch of knowledge.

The spelling encyclopedia is standard in American English, common in Canadian English, accepted in Australian and International English, and also very common in British English although nonstandard.

• dictionary

• encyclopedia on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “encyclopedia”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.