An encyclopedia or encyclopaedia (also spelled encyclopu00E6dia, 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...
The Encyclopu00E9distes were a members of the Sociu00E9tu00E9 des gens de lettres, a French writer's society, who contributed to the development of the Encyclopu00E9die from June 1751 to December 1765 under editors Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert...
Encyclopedism is an outlook according to which knowledge can effectively be brought together in a single work or encyclopedia.:47