{{short description|Online encyclopedia}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}} {{italic title}} {{Infobox website | name = ''Encyclopedia.com'' | logo = Encyclopedia.com logo.svg | logo_alt = Encyclopedia.com logo | screenshot = Encyclopedia.com homepage.png | collapsible = yes | screenshot_size = | screenshot_alt = | caption = Homepage in October 2024 | url = {{Official URL}} | commercial = Yes | type = Online encyclopedia | registration = No | language = English | content_license = Copyrighted | owner = Gale | creator = Infonautics | launch_date = {{Start date and age|1998|03}} | revenue = Display advertising | oclc = 405663034 | current_status = Online }}
'''''Encyclopedia.com'''''<ref>{{cite web |title=Reference: Encyclopedias |url=https://curlie.org/Reference/Encyclopedias/ |website=Curlie.org |language=en |access-date=27 Sep 2024 |archive-date=May 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527020415/https://curlie.org/Reference/Encyclopedias/ |url-status=live}}</ref> is an online encyclopedia. It aggregates information, images, and videos from other published dictionaries, encyclopedias, and reference works.
== History == The website was launched by Infonautics in March 1998.<ref name="Information Today 1998">{{cite magazine |date=March 1998 |title=Infonautics Launches Encyclopedia.Com |url=https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-20341277/infonautics-launches-encyclopedia-com |magazine=Information Today |language=en |volume=15 |issue=3 |issn=8755-6286 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614221256/https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-20341277/infonautics-launches-encyclopedia-com |archive-date=June 14, 2018 |url-access=subscription |via=Questia}}</ref> Infonautics was acquired by Tucows in August 2001.<ref name="Magic 2002">{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/15/technology/basics-a-reference-library-on-disc-or-online.html |url-access=limited |title=BASICS; A Reference Library On Disc or Online |first=Larry |last=Magid |date=August 15, 2002 |page=G7 |issn=1553-8095 |access-date=27 Sep 2024 |archive-date=August 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810173654/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/15/technology/basics-a-reference-library-on-disc-or-online.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
In August 2002, Patrick Spain bought ''Encyclopedia.com'' and its sister website eLibrary from Tucows and incorporated them into a new company called Alacritude, LLC (a combination of Alacrity and Attitude).<ref name="Hane 2002">{{cite web |last=Hane |first=Paula J. |date=August 26, 2002 |title=Tucows Sells Two Former Infonautics Services |url=https://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/nbreader.asp?ArticleID=17104 |website=Newsbreaks.infotoday.com |publisher=Information Today, Inc. |access-date=27 Sep 2024 |archive-date=March 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110312072603/http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/nbreader.asp?ArticleID=17104 |url-status=live}}</ref> The business became known as HighBeam Research and was eventually sold to Gale.<ref name="Creguer 2008">{{Cite press release |last=Creguer |first=Tina |date=December 15, 2008 |title=Gale Acquires HighBeam Research, Inc. |language=en-US |publisher=Cengage |url=https://news.cengage.com/library-research/gale-acquires-highbeam-research-inc |archive-date=April 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422014144/https://news.cengage.com/library-research/gale-acquires-highbeam-research-inc/ |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Gwen 2008">{{cite web |author=Gwen |date=December 16, 2008 |title=Internet News: Gale Acquired HighBeam Research |url=http://www.websearchguide.ca/netblog/archives/008099.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305194620/http://www.websearchguide.ca/netblog/archives/008099.html |archive-date=March 5, 2012 |website=Websearchguide.ca}}</ref> For a time the website was operated by Chicago-based company Highbeam Research, a subsidiary of reference publisher Gale, which itself is a subsidiary of Cengage.<ref>{{cite web |last=Myers |first=Fort |date=July 27, 2011 |title=Partnership With HighBeam Research and Encyclopedia.com |url=http://www.yippyinc.com/insights/announces-partnership-with-highbeam/ |publisher=Yippy, Inc. |archive-date=March 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325232142/http://www.yippyinc.com/insights/announces-partnership-with-highbeam/ |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Creguer 2008" />
Enycyclopedia.com saw its traffic decline by more than three quarters from approximately 4 million visits monthly in 2022, to under 1 million in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-23 |title=Digital 2025: exploring trends in Wikipedia traffic |url=https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-exploring-trends-in-wikipedia-traffic |access-date=2026-01-11 |website=DataReportal – Global Digital Insights |language=en-GB}}</ref>
== Content == ''Encyclopedia.com'' allows users to access information on a subject that is derived from multiple encyclopedias and dictionary sources,<ref name="Gross 2012">{{cite web |last=Gross |first=Melanie |url=https://www.ghacks.net/2012/05/21/wikipedia-down-try-these-alternatives/ |title=Wikipedia down? Try these alternatives |website=Ghacks.net |date=May 21, 2012 |access-date=27 Sep 2024 |archive-date=March 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327003459/https://www.ghacks.net/2012/05/21/wikipedia-down-try-these-alternatives/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and it has nearly 200,000 entries and 50,000 topic summaries. It provides a collection of online encyclopedias and entries from various sources, including Oxford University Press, ''Columbia Encyclopedia'', and Gale, its parent company.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Encyclopedia.com |website=Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/about |access-date=27 Sep 2024 |archive-date=March 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309201127/https://www.encyclopedia.com/about |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The World's #1 Online Encyclopedia |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/ |access-date=27 Sep 2024 |website=Encyclopedia.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713030447/https://www.encyclopedia.com/ |archive-date=July 13, 2018 |language=en |url-status=live}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website}}
{{Cengage}}
Category:American online encyclopedias Category:21st-century encyclopedias Category:Internet properties established in 1998