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Encyclopedic vs Exhaustive - What's the difference?

encyclopedic | exhaustive |

As adjectives the difference between encyclopedic and exhaustive

is that encyclopedic is of or relating to the characteristics of an encyclopedia; concerning all subjects, having comprehensive information or knowledge while exhaustive is including every possible element.

encyclopedic

English

Alternative forms

* encyclopaedic *

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Of or relating to the characteristics of an encyclopedia; concerning all subjects, having comprehensive information or knowledge.
  • (lexicography) Relating to or containing encyclopedic information rather than only linguistic or lexical information; about facts and concepts, and not only a word or term; including proper names, biographical and geographical information and illustrations.
  • * 2001 , Sidney I. Landau, Dictionaries: The Art and Craft of Lexicography , 2nd ed, Scribner:
  • [p 151] Although separate encyclopedic sections have nothing to do with the dictionary proper, there are no compelling logical reasons for condemning them.
    [p 212] Terms derived from names fall into three categories. Some, like Chomskyan'', refer to a person and the work done by that person, or to a place or a person from that place (''Virginian, Londoner ), and should be defined only in relation to the person or place. They are essentially encyclopedic entries and, if the dictionary contains an entry for the person or place in question, could well be run on without a separate definition.
    [p 359] The difficulty of distinguishing between lexical units and items in a nomenclature is especially nettlesome in specialized dictionaries, which are by their nature more encyclopedic than general dictionaries.

    Synonyms

    * encyclopedical, , encyclopaedical

    References

    * * *

    exhaustive

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Including every possible element.
  • We made an exhaustive list.
  • Fully comprehensive.
  • Derived terms

    * exhaustively * exhaustiveness * collectively exhaustive ----