Encyclical Definition & Meaning

Origin of Encyclical

From Medieval Lattin encyclicus circular from Greek enkuklios en- in en–² kuklos circle kwel-¹ in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Late Latin encyclicus, from Ancient Greek εγκυκλιος (enkyklios, “circular, general”), from εν− (en-) + κύκλος (kyklos, “circle”).

From Wiktionary

The encyclical letters of the Roman Catholic Church are epistles, even more so than bulls, which are usually more special in their destination.
It has then met at Lambeth, and after sitting for five days for deliberation upon the fixed subjects and appointment of committees, has adjourned, to meet again at the end of a fortnight and sit for five days more, to receive reports, adopt resolutions and to put forth the encyclical letter.
In addition to the encyclical letter, nineteen resolutions were put forth, and the reports of twelve special committees are appended upon which they are based, the subjects being intemperance, purity, divorce, polygamy, observance of Sunday, socialism, care of emigrants, mutual relations of dioceses of the Anglican Communion, home reunion, Scandinavian Church, Old Catholics, &c., Eastern Churches, standards of doctrine and worship. Perhaps the most important of these is the famous "Lambeth Quadrilateral," which laid down a fourfold basis for home reunion - the Holy Scriptures, the Apostles' and Nicene creeds, the two sacraments ordained by Christ himself and the historic episcopate.
But as a faithful Catholic he obeyed the encyclical of 1892, and declared his readiness to rally to a Republican government, provided that it respected religion.
In the same year Dr Temple and his brother archbishop issued an able reply to an encyclical of the pope which denied the validity of Anglican orders.

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