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encyclopedia

Pronunciation: /ɛnˌsʌɪklə(ʊ)ˈpiːdɪə, ɪn-/

(also encyclopaedia)
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Definition of encyclopedia

noun

  • a book or set of books giving information on many subjects or on many aspects of one subject and typically arranged alphabetically.

Origin:

mid 16th century: modern Latin, from pseudo-Greek enkuklopaideia for enkuklios paideia 'all-round education'

Spelling help

Encyclopedia can also be spelled encyclopaedia, with -ae- after the p, but this is less common.

encyclopedia in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of encyclopedia in the US English dictionary

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