encyclopedia meaning

[ənˌsəɪ.kləˈpi.diə]

[ɪnˌsaɪ.kləˈpi(ː).diə]

[-iːdiə]

WEncyclopedia

An encyclopedia or encyclopaedia (also spelled encyclopædia, see spelling differences) is a type of reference work or compendium holding a comprehensive summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge.
Encyclopedias have existed for around 2,000 years; the oldest still in existence, Naturalis Historia, was written starting in ca. AD 77 by Pliny the Elder; it was not fully revised at the time of his death in 79.

Definition of encyclopedia in English Dictionary

NounPLencyclopediasPLencyclopediaePLencyclopediæ
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.
  1. I only use the library for the encyclopedia, as we’ve got most other books here.
  2. His life's work was a four-volume encyclopedia of aviation topics.
More Examples
1. Used in the Middle of Sentence
  - The bullshitters have gotten pretty lazy, because they’ve thrown away all dictionaries and encyclopedias containing words or ideas that are unbullshit.
  - If this edit is mine, the other must be yours. Their encyclopedia is good, but yours is even better. It’s all yours. ‎
2. Used in the Ending of Sentence
  - If we desire to find the hidden meaning and subtlety of the pictorial symbols we must search these mediæval encyclopediæ.