Standard Lemma guide

encapsulate

verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪnˈkæps(j)ʊˌleɪt/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: EH0 N K AE1 P S AH0 L EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To enclose something in, or as if in, a capsule.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To epitomize something by expressing it as a brief summary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To enclose objects in a common interface in a way that makes them interchangeable, and guards their states from invalid changes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: object-oriented programming

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences, software

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To enclose data in packets that can be transmitted using a given protocol.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, networking, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

put in a short or concise form; reduce in volume

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • capsulize the news

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: capsule, capsulize, capsulise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: digest, condense, concentrate

6

verb

Meaning 6

enclose in a capsule or other small container

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: enclose, close in, inclose, shut in

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Latin in- Old French en-bor. Middle English en- English en- English capsule Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātuslbor. English -ate English encapsulate From en- + capsule + -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Across languages

Translations

46 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: պատիճավորել (patičavorel) — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Catalan: encapsular — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Danish: indkapsle — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Dutch: inkapselen — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Esperanto: enkapsuligi — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Finnish: kapseloida — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Finnish: koteloida — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • French: encapsuler — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • German: einkapseln — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • German: kapseln — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • German: verkapseln — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Māori: kōpaki — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Norwegian Bokmål: innkapsle — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kapsle inn — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kapsle inn — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Portuguese: encapsular — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Portuguese: embrulhar — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Romanian: încapsula — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Romanian: capsula — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Swedish: kapsla in — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Swedish: inkapsla — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Ukrainian: капсулюва́ти (kapsuljuváty) — to enclose as if in a capsule
  • Chinese Mandarin: 概括 (gàikuò) — to epitomize
  • Chinese Mandarin: 梗概 (gěnggài) — to epitomize
  • Danish: sammenfatte — to epitomize
  • Danish: samle — to epitomize
  • Finnish: tiivistää — to epitomize
  • Finnish: kiteyttää — to epitomize
  • German: zusammenfassen — to epitomize
  • Korean: 요약하다 (yoyakhada) — to epitomize
  • Korean: 집약하다 (jibyakhada) — to epitomize
  • Norwegian: sammenfatte — to epitomize
  • Portuguese: resumir — to epitomize
  • Portuguese: sintetizar — to epitomize
  • Portuguese: epitomizar — to epitomize
  • Swedish: sammanfatta — to epitomize
  • Armenian: ներպարունակել (nerparunakel) — object-oriented programming: To enclose objects in a common interface
  • Chinese Mandarin: 封装 (fēngzhuāng) — object-oriented programming: To enclose objects in a common interface
  • Dutch: inkapselen — object-oriented programming: To enclose objects in a common interface
  • Esperanto: enkapsuligi — object-oriented programming: To enclose objects in a common interface
  • French: encapsuler — object-oriented programming: To enclose objects in a common interface
  • German: kapseln — object-oriented programming: To enclose objects in a common interface
  • Icelandic: hjúpa — object-oriented programming: To enclose objects in a common interface
  • Russian: инкапсули́ровать (inkapsulírovatʹ) — object-oriented programming: To enclose objects in a common interface
  • Ukrainian: інкапсулюва́ти (inkapsuljuváty) — object-oriented programming: To enclose objects in a common interface
  • German: kapseln — networking: to enclose data in packets