all-encompassing

adjective

Definition of all-encompassingnext
as in extensive
as in encompassing The law was designed to have an all-encompassing effect.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of all-encompassing Another loophole Trump leverages to achieve his all-encompassing power grab is the National Emergencies Act. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 9 June 2026 An understanding of the all-encompassing law of Spirit, operating in our lives now, brings salvation, bountiful joy, and a deeper understanding of our wholeness as sons and daughters of God. — Alistair Budd, Christian Science Monitor, 24 June 2026 There is no proposal for an income VAT like the New Hampshire Business Enterprise Tax, with low rates made possible by an all-encompassing base, nor for the broad extension of the sales tax to professions and service businesses. — George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 13 June 2026 In addition to the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart, the collaboration between Pemberton and May also reaches the Rock Digital Song Sales tally, which is slightly more all-encompassing, as all subgenres of rock are eligible for the rundown. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for all-encompassing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for all-encompassing
  1. extensive
  2. universal
  3. omnibus
  4. encompassing
  5. pervasive
Adjective
  • Barrett and Jackson each reported the most extensive travel of court justices promoting their books in 2025.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 30 June 2026
  • Just south of the circle, subsequent construction of the Icon Miami complex, though, destroyed extensive additional evidence of Tequesta occupation in the bedrock, including scores of holes likely dug for wooden dwelling support posts.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
Definition of extensive
Adjective
  • While water bottle preferences are deeply personal, packing one is a universal essential.
    — Abbey Hudetz, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
  • Advocates have also credited her work as helping build momentum for Minnesota’s universal school meals program, signed into law in 2023.
    — Tyler Quattrin, Twin Cities, 7 July 2026
Definition of universal
Adjective
  • At the end of this past session, lawmakers also passed a Medicaid omnibus bill putting guardrails around some of the financial support hospitals receive from the state.
    — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
  • On the penultimate day of session, Senate Republicans spent 6 hours debating an omnibus transportation bill that passed 32-4 with bipartisan support.
    — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2026
Definition of omnibus
Adjective
  • Much more encompassing than detecting software code vulnerabilities .
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
  • But that changed in the 2000s, when post-op care became more encompassing after rearranging patients’ internal organs.
    — Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of encompassing
Adjective
  • The author contrasts the unifying spirit of the 1976 Bicentennial with today's pervasive division, despite significant advancements in rights for women, minorities, and the disabled.
    — Sophia A. Nelson, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Americans in the crowd agreed among themselves that heat isn’t the problem; the pervasive lack of air conditioning is.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 26 June 2026
Definition of pervasive

Browse Nearby Words

all-embracing
all-encompassing
allergic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“All-encompassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/all-encompassing. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All