encompass
The festival encompasses music, dance, and food from over 20 cultures.
The festival includes a wide variety of cultural activities like music, dance, and food.
To include or contain a range of different elements or aspects.
The course encompasses both theoretical and practical aspects of programming.
The course covers both the theory behind programming and hands-on practice.
Her responsibilities encompass project management and team leadership.
She is responsible for overseeing projects and leading her team.
Often used to describe broad or inclusive coverage of topics, areas, or responsibilities.
Collocations
Pro Tip
Avoid redundancy
Don't pair 'encompass' with 'include' or 'contain' in the same sentence (e.g., 'The book includes and encompasses...' is redundant).
Gold Rule
Use for broad inclusion
Reserve 'encompass' for situations where you want to emphasize that something includes a wide or comprehensive set of elements, not just a few.
Word Origin
From Middle English *encompaissen*, from Old French *encompaignier* (to accompany, surround), from *en-* (in, within) + *compaignier* (to accompany, from *companion*).
Usage Notes
Used in formal or descriptive contexts to emphasize the comprehensive nature of something. Avoid using it to describe physical containment (e.g., not for 'a fence encompasses a garden').