An encyclopedia is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge, either general or special, in a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles or entries t
A laptop shows a Wikipedia page on "Encyclopedia", beside stacked volumes and an open page of the Encyclopædia Britannica.
Pliny the Elder's Natural History is one of the oldest extant encyclopedias.
The Yongle Encyclopedia is the largest paper encyclopedia of world history
Britannica 15th edition printed encyclopedias, 2002
The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published since 1768 and, after several ownership changes, is currently owned by Encyclopædia Britannica,
Encyclopedia
…method of organization, and its method of production: Encyclopedias can be general, containing articles on topics in every field (the English-language Encyclopædia Britannica and German Brockhaus are well-known examples). General encyclopedias may contain guides on how to do a variety of things, as well as embedded dictionaries…
The title page of the first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, published in 1768–71
The early 19th-century editions of Encyclopædia Britannica included influential, original research such as Thomas Young's article on Egypt, which included the translation of the hieroglyphs on the Rosetta Stone (pictured).
An advertisement for the 11th edition, published in the May 1913 issue of National Geographic
A wooden shipping crate for the 14th edition of the Britannica