Meanings
plural encirclements
- countableuncountableThe act of encircling or the state of being encircled
- countableuncountablegovernmentThe isolation of a target by the formation of a blockade around it
Not only did it give the Russians an abiding fear of encirclement, whether by nomadic hordes or by nuclear-missile sites, but it also launched them on their relentless drive eastwards and southwards into Asia, and eventually collision with the British in India.
1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society, published 2010, page 9
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna war measure that isolates some area of importance to the enemy
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
- Proto-Italic*en
- Proto-Italic*en-
- Latinin-
- Old Frenchen-
- Middle Englishen-
- Englishen-
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)ker-
- Ancient Greekκίρκος (kírkos)
- Latincircus
- Latincirculus
- Old Frenchcercle
- Middle Englishcircle
- Englishcircle
- Englishencircle
- Englishencirclement
Translations
Bulgarian обкръже́ние
- обкръже́ние (obkrăžénie)act of encircling
Chinese Mandarin 包圍 /包围, 包围圈
- 包圍 /包围 (bāowéi)act of encircling
- 包围圈 (bāowéiquān)isolation of a target
Czech obklíčení
- obklíčeníact of encircling
Finnish ympyröinti, saarto
- ympyröintiact of encircling
- saartoisolation of a target
- piiritysisolation of a target
- motitusisolation of a target
German Umzingelung, Umzingeln
- Umzingelungact of encircling
- Umzingelnact of encircling
- Einkesselnact of encircling
- Einkesselungact of encircling
- Umzingelungisolation of a target
- Umzingelnisolation of a target
- Einkesselungisolation of a target
- Einkesselnisolation of a target
Greek περιτριγύρισμα
- περιτριγύρισμα (peritrigýrisma)act of encircling
Hindi घेराव
- घेराव (gherāv)isolation of a target
Japanese 包囲
- 包囲 (hōi)act of encircling
Korean 포위
- 포위 (powi)act of encircling
Latvian ielenkums
- ielenkumsisolation of a target
Māori whiwhinga, taiāwhiotanga
- whiwhingaact of encircling
- taiāwhiotangaact of encircling
- ponitakatangaact of encircling
Polish okrążenie, otoczenie
- okrążenieact of encircling
- otoczenieisolation of a target
Romanian încercuire, încercuire
- încercuireact of encircling
- încercuireisolation of a target
- înconjurareisolation of a target
Russian окруже́ние, окруже́ние
- окруже́ние (okružénije)act of encircling
- окруже́ние (okružénije)isolation of a target
Slovak obkľúčenie
- obkľúčenieact of encircling
Turkish kuşatma, kuşatılma
- kuşatmaact of encircling
- kuşatılmaact of encircling
- kuşatmaisolation of a target
Ukrainian ото́чення, ото́чення
- ото́чення (otóčennja)act of encircling
- ото́чення (otóčennja)isolation of a target
Welsh amgylchyniad, amgylchyniad
- amgylchyniadact of encircling
- amgylchyniadisolation of a target
Cite this entry
encirclement. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/encirclement
“encirclement.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/encirclement. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “encirclement,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/encirclement.
Source: encirclement on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.