all-encompassing
All-encompassing (adjective) means including or covering everything relevant, leaving nothing out. Example: “The report offers an all-encompassing review of the department's failings.”
How to use all-encompassing
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCovering absolutely everything.
Neutral to slightly emphatic. Common in reviews, business writing and emotional description.
All-inclusive is mostly used about holidays and prices; all-encompassing is about scope and coverage.
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The report offers an _____ review of the department's failings.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for all-encompassing
See all rhymes for all-encompassing →Frequently asked questions
Is all-encompassing hyphenated?
Yes. It is standardly written with a hyphen before the noun it modifies and usually keeps the hyphen after a verb too — the strategy is all-encompassing. Writing it as two separate words is treated as an error by most style guides.
What is the difference between all-encompassing and comprehensive?
Comprehensive is the neutral, factual word for covering everything necessary. All-encompassing is stronger and often emotional, suggesting something so total that it dominates — an all-encompassing grief, an all-encompassing obsession.
Can all-encompassing be negative?
It can. Applied to feelings, workloads or systems of control, it often implies that nothing has been left free of it, which is usually unwelcome.
What is the meaning of all-encompassing?
"all-encompassing" (adjective) means including or covering everything relevant, leaving nothing out.