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
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/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
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