Definition of "encapsulation"

The act of enclosing in a capsule; the growth of a membrane around (any part) so as to enclose it in a capsule.  examples

(programming, object-oriented programming) Grouping together an object’s ‘state’ (its data) and the operations that may alter or interrogate it (its methods).  examples

(networking) The process of arranging data into packets that can be transmitted using a given protocol.  examples