encompass
10 synonyms and 2 antonyms for encompass, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To include a wide range of things as part of a single whole.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. verb
To include a wide range of things as part of a single whole.
“The role encompasses everything from budgeting to hiring.”
Opposites
How to use encompass
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
encompass a range of
broadly encompass
encompass everything from
Formal to neutral; common in academic, legal and business writing.
Etymology
Formed from the prefix en- "in" and compass in its older sense of a circuit or extent.
Full origin of encompass →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between encompass and include?
Include simply says something is one of the parts; encompass stresses that the whole reaches across a wide or varied range. "The course includes statistics" names one component, while "the course encompasses statistics" suggests statistics is one of many fields it spans.
Is encompasses a word?
Yes, it is the third person singular present form: "the term encompasses several disorders". The past tense and participle is encompassed.
What is the difference between encompass and comprise?
Comprise means to be made up of a complete list of parts, so "the committee comprises nine members" implies there are exactly nine. Encompass makes no claim to completeness and simply says the range is broad.
