Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ENCYCLOPEDIC

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explore the archives: Do you still have a set of encyclopedias? Those dusty, weighty volumes satisfied all our childhood curiosities. We love Google, but it can't provide the joy of holding a heavy, hardbound book of all-encompassing knowledge. Encyclopedic conveys that weight for us. When you use this word, your fingers can almost feel the g___-edged pages. (Can you recall that word? Used figuratively, it means "extremely valuable or elegant.") In case you're curious about the roots inside encyclopedic, the "cycl" part means "circle," and the "ped" part means "education." An encyclopedia was originally a course of learning: a "circle of education." Hopefully we can build and share those circles of education--encyclopedic knowledge of whatever we're passionate about--without being ped___ic, or focused on tiny details in a stuffy, annoying way. make your point with... "ENCYCLOPEDIC" Encyclopedic things are like an encyclopedia (a book or set of books filled with a complete set of information) because they're extremely full of information on everything about a certain subject. Pronunciation: en SIGH kluh PEE dik Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "an encyclopedic thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was encyclopedic.") Other forms: None are common. There's an alternate spelling: "encyclopaedic," sometimes with those vowels joined: "encyclopædic." How to use it: When "comprehensive" isn't strong enough, you need "encyclopedic." "Encyclopedic" most often has a positive tone. I point this out because you might ask if it has a negative tone, since an encyclopedia simply lists facts without attempting any deep analysis or search for interconnections. (And isn't that the worst kind of learning--when all we know is a vast quantity of loosely connected definitions, names, and dates?) However, the prestige of encyclopedias themselves seems to be winning here. "Encyclopedic" almost always expresses a positive tone.  Talk about someone's encyclopedic knowledge of something: "You'll appreciate his encyclopedic knowledge of the film industry." Or, talk about someone's encyclopedic memory, or someone's encyclopedic understanding or grasp of some topic. You can also have encyclopedic tasks and projects, encyclopedic programs and systems, encyclopedic collections, encyclopedic museums and museum holdings, encyclopedic catalogs and guides, and encyclopedic essays and accounts and articles and websites. And you can say that something has an encyclopedic nature or quality or character, or that something has an encyclopedic mixture or combination of things. It's rare, but you might use this word to describe a person. A phrase like "an encyclopedic statistician" is just a quicker way of saying "someone with an extremely comprehensive knowledge of statistics." examples: With his encyclopedic knowledge of movies, musicals, and television shows, Chad will always beat me at Trivial Pursuit. Hardly anyone scores higher than 40%; the test demands an encyclopedic understanding of literary movements, figures, and works both across the globe and throughout time.  study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "encyclopedic" means when you can explain it without saying "fully comprehensive" or "complete and exhaustive." try it out: You know how we remember random little details, but we forget a surprising amount of other information? Fill in the blanks: "I can tell you (an interesting but minor detail from the past), but that doesn't mean my memory is encyclopedic: I can't even recall (some major detail from the past)." Example: "I can tell you exactly how we decorated our freshman dorm and how the whole building was laid out, but that doesn't mean my memory is encyclopedic: I can't even recall my professors' names from that year." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is called One-Word Titles! Rely on your cultural knowledge, your vocabulary, or both as we consider the power and simplicity of one-word titles. We'll recall movies, songs, books, television shows, and musicals with brief, meaningful, well-chosen titles of only one word each. Let's play! From yesterday: The title of this 1981 song by The J. Geils Band means "the two middle pages of a publication, or a person who appeared on a large photo on those two middle pages," and the word suggests the full attention given to an image that's evocative, even vulgar. The title is __________. Answer: Centerfold. Try this today: The title of this 1987 book by Toni Morrison means "a person who is adored." Giving the title both ambiguity and eeriness is the fact that we hear this word in speeches at both weddings and funerals. The title is __________. review today's word: 1. The opposite of ENCYCLOPEDIC is A. FULLY DEVOTED B. NARROWLY FOCUSED C. IRREPARABLY DAMAGED 2. We'll need an encyclopedic text, one with a title like _____. A. Photography for Dummies B. A Guide to Waterfall Photography C. Mastering the Ins and Outs of Film and Digital Photography Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. C