encyclopédie

encyclopaedia

noun ahn-see-kloh-peh-DEE Rare

Origin: From Greek 'enkyklios paideia' (circular education).

Usage Note

Encyclopédie is particularly resonant in French culture: l'Encyclopédie of Diderot and d'Alembert (1751-1772) was a landmark of the Enlightenment. The adjective form is encyclopédique, and une culture encyclopédique describes someone with very wide-ranging knowledge. The plural is regular: des encyclopédies.

Examples

"Il a consulté l'encyclopédie pour vérifier ce fait."

Natural Translation

He consulted the encyclopaedia to check this fact.

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