[en.cyc.li.cal] adj [LL encyclicus, fr. Gk enkyklios circular, general, fr. en in + kyklos circle--more at in, wheel] (1647): addressed to all the individuals of a group: general
[2]encyclical n (1837): an encyclical letter; specif: a papal letter to the bishops of the church as a whole or to those in one country