Words / B2

in-sykl-uh-PEED-ee-uh/ɪnˌsaɪkləˈpiːdiə/

An encyclopedia (British also encyclopaedia) is a book or website with articles on many subjects, or on one field: a science encyclopaedia; encyclopedic knowledge. Dictionary lists words; a monograph is a specialist book. Cite the encyclopaedia as a starting source, then find a named specialist text. Mix-up: encyclopedia vs cyclopaedia (old spelling); Wikipedia as the only source; do not stop at the encyclopaedia when the handbook asks for a specialist text.

Meaning

A book or website with articles on many subjects, or on one field (British also encyclopaedia).

Examples

• “Cite the encyclopaedia as a starting source, then find a named specialist text, the handbook said.”
• “An encyclopedic footnote is still not a sampling frame, which is the “very wide knowledge” sense — still name the dataset.”

Good to know

an encyclopedia / encyclopaedia; encyclopedic. Close: reference work. Contrast: dictionary / monograph. Trap: stopping at a general article. Methods and RS. A wide reference work — start there, then name a specialist source.

Near in meaning

encyclopaedia, reference work, compendium

New