encompassing

American  

[en-kuhm-puh-sing] / ɛnˈkʌm pə sɪŋ /

adjective

1. forming a circle around something; encircling or surrounding.

   She serves the whole Anchorage real estate market, including the encompassing communities.

2. comprehensively including, addressing, or dealing with all parts or aspects of something.

   Whether as a regular treatment or a special indulgence, your fully encompassing spa experience will leave you looking and feeling fantastic!

3. fully enclosing or enveloping something.

   As she looked out reflectively over the lake, the encompassing quiet was sliced by the shrill sound of her cell phone.

---

noun

1. the act or state of surrounding, enclosing, or comprehensively including something.

   The term “diaspora” allows for the encompassing of a wider range of people and experiences than “immigrants.”

Etymology

Origin of encompassing

First recorded in 1565–75; encompass ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; encompass ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

This uncertainty, encompassing the two likeliest of possible interpretations, has prompted some experts to suggest those titles as more accurate descriptions of the painting.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The evacuation order was unprecedented in scale, encompassing a 6-square-mile, densely populated residential area with hundreds of thousands of people.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

APA funding is awarded based on a grading system, with Grade A denoting the higher-end established athletes and Grade E encompassing up-and-coming prospects.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

A broad investment strategy encompassing infrastructure across developed markets can offer U.S. investors a way to ride along with economic trends at a discount to the price/earnings valuation of the S&P 500.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

The time when Kampuchea was a large empire with territories encompassing part of Thailand, Laos, and what is now South Vietnam.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

Related Words

• enveloping