noun A reference work containing articles on a wide range of subjects, usually arranged alphabetically or by category.
- I only use the library for the encyclopedia, as we’ve got most other books here.
- Pliny the Elder’s Natural History is a go-to source for understanding what ancient Romans believed about the world and the model for every encyclopedia since.
— Livia Gershon, The Numinous World of Pliny the Elder (2025)
- The library keeps a large encyclopedia on the shelf near the front desk.
- She looked up the country's history in an old encyclopedia.
- Online encyclopedias are updated far more often than printed ones.
- My old encyclopedia has been gathering dust on the shelf for the past decade.
