An
encyclopedia or
encyclopaedia (also spelled
encyclopædia, see
spelling differences) is a type of
reference work or
compendium holding a comprehensive summary of
information from either all branches of
knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge. Encyclopedias are divided into
articles or entries, which are usually accessed
alphabetically by article name. Encyclopedia entries are longer and more detailed than those in most
dictionaries. Generally speaking, unlike dictionary entries, which focus on
linguistic information about
words, encyclopedia articles focus on
factual information concerning the subject for which the article is named.
