Encompasses is a verb meaning to include comprehensively or to surround and cover on all sides. It conveys the idea of surrounding or embracing a range or scope within a boundary, not just touching on aspects but fully containing them. In usage, it often appears in formal or descriptive contexts to denote breadth and inclusivity of elements or ideas.
"The new policy encompasses a wide range of environmental protections."
"Her responsibilities encompass budgeting, scheduling, and team leadership."
"The exhibit encompasses artworks from the Renaissance to modern times."
"Their study program encompasses theory, practice, and field work."
Encompasses derives from the prefix en- (in, inside) combined with the verb encompass, which itself comes from the late Latin encompassus, past participle of encompassere ‘to contain, surround’, from com- (together) + pen- (to hang, to weigh down) evolving through Old French encompasser and Middle English. The sense evolved from “to surround” physically to “to include within a boundary or range.” By the 16th century, encompass broadened to abstract coverage, as in ideas or territories. The modern form emphasizes total inclusion or surrounding in scope, not merely proximity. The word’s journey tracks a shift from tangible enclosure to figurative breadth, paralleling other English verbs that move from spatial to conceptual domains. First known use as a verb appears in early modern English texts, with fluctuations in form (encompas, encompass) before stabilizing as encompass with -es for the third-person singular and plural present tense and past tense encompassed or encompassed. The evolution reflects a broader trend in English to intensify the sense of totality when describing coverage or reach.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Encompasses" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Encompasses"
-ses sounds
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Pronounce as in-KOM-pas-iz. The primary stress falls on the third syllable: en‑COM‑passes. IPA: US/UK/AU /ɪn.kəmˈpæs.ɪz/. Start with a light schwa in the first syllable, then a clear /k/ + /æ/ in ‘pass’ followed by a voiced /ɪz/ syllable. Lips neutral, tongue high for /k/ release, then jaw drops briefly for /æ/. Audio cues: think ‘en’ + ‘COM’ + ‘passes’ with emphasis on the middle syllable.
Two common mistakes: (1) Misplacing the primary stress on the first syllable (en-COM-passes) instead of on the second: you’ll sound off-balance; (2) Slurring the final -ses as /z/ or eliding it to /s/; instead, pronounce the final /ɪz/ clearly, keeping voicing. Correction: ensure /ˈpæs/ is strong, then add a clear /ɪz/ with vocal fold vibration. Practice by isolating the middle syllable: /kəmˈpæs/.
US/UK/AU share /ɪn.kəmˈpæs.ɪz/ but in some UK and AU varieties you may hear a slightly shorter /ɪ/ in the first syllable and a crisper /pæs/ with less vowel length on /æ/. Rhotacization is not present here, so /r/ is not involved. Australian English may have a slightly more reduced vowel in the first syllable (closer to /ə/), but the stress pattern remains the same: en-COM-pass-es.
It challenges English learners with three features: (1) a multi-syllable stress pattern where the strong stress sits on the second syllable; (2) the vowel in /pæs/ must be a clear /æ/ rather than a schwa; (3) the final /ɪz/ requires voiced sibilant articulation after a voiceless /s/ sometimes mispronounced as /s/ or /z/. Focus on segmenting the word: en-kəm-PASS-iz, then blend. IPA guide: /ɪn.kəmˈpæs.ɪz/.
The word contains a morphologically distinct -pæss- with a heavy syllable and a trailing voiced -ɪz. The tension is between the stop /p/ and the following /æ/ vowel, which can tempt learners to reduce the /æ/ to a schwa. Keep a crisp /æ/ in /pæs/ and then a short but audible /ɪz/ to finish the word. IPA: /ɪn.kəmˈpæs.ɪz/.
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