encyclopedism
- noun
- /ˌɛn.sɪ.kləˈpiː.dɪ.zəm/
- Formal
- Her encyclopedism allowed her to discuss a wide range of topics with great confidence.
Examples
-
In his intellectual life, Edward suffered what I used to think of as encyclopedism: he wished to get all around every subject he took up.
Academic text (1995) -
The professor's encyclopedism impressed the students during every lecture he delivered.
-
His encyclopedism made him a sought-after speaker at academic conferences around the world.
Synonyms
Wide knowledge gained by study in a subject like history
Deep knowledge of a subject gained by long study
Great knowledge gained from study and reading
A strong, detailed understanding of a subject
Deep knowledge someone has after long study of books
A quality of knowing a lot from careful study
A very high level of skill in a field like literature
Antonyms
How Knowledgeable
- Formal
- Formal
Surface Forms
Morphology
encyclopedism = encyclopedic (semi-transparent) = encycloped + ism
The noun is built on the learned adjective 'encyclopedic', but the truncated stem and abstract -ism formation make the structure only partly straightforward.
Etymology
Encyclopedism comes from encyclopedia, which comes from the Greek words enkyklios 'in a circle' and paideia 'education'. So, encyclopedism means having wide, all-round knowledge across many subjects.