comprehensive

adjective

com·​pre·​hen·​sive ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen(t)-siv 

-prē-

1

: covering completely or broadly : inclusive

comprehensive examinations

comprehensive insurance

2

: having or exhibiting wide mental grasp

comprehensive knowledge

comprehensively adverb

comprehensiveness noun

Synonyms

• all-embracing
• all-in [chiefly British]
• all-inclusive
• broad-gauge
• broad-gauged
• compendious
• complete
• cover-all
• cyclopedic
• embracive
• encyclopedic
• exhaustive
• full
• global
• in-depth
• inclusive
• omnibus
• panoramic
• thorough
• universal

Examples of comprehensive in a Sentence

Natalie's every move was photographed, a documentation of a happy childhood as comprehensive as it was false. —John Gregory Dunne, New York Review of Books, 15 Jan. 2004

Inevitably, though, in so comprehensive an account, some important events and themes are cursorily checked off … —Isabel Fonseca, Times Literary Supplement, 29 Jan. 1993

Walcott proceeded to misinterpret these fossils in a comprehensive and thoroughly consistent manner … —Stephen Jay Gould, Wonderful Life, 1989

a comprehensive overview of European history since the French Revolution

a comprehensive listing of all the paintings generally attributed to the Dutch artist Rembrandt

Recent Examples on the Web

Workshops will help participants develop comprehensive business plans and prepare pitches that will be presented in competitions for prizes. —Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 22 June 2024

Lawmakers and advocacy groups continue to push for stronger protections and more comprehensive measures to prevent gun violence. —Jaida Joyner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 June 2024

The city has an opportunity to join others in the nation committing to comprehensive services for those behind bars, designed not merely to improve their living conditions but also to increase their chances of successfully reentering society. —Editorial Board, Washington Post, 21 June 2024

Backstreet Cultural Museum The Backstreet Cultural Museum holds the world’s most comprehensive collection related to New Orleans’s African American community traditions, including Mardi Gras Indians, jazz funerals, social aid and pleasure clubs, Baby Dolls, and Skull and Bone gangs. —Jaha Nailah Avery, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

see comprehension

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing comprehensive

• comprehensive school

Kids Definition

comprehensive

adjective

com·​pre·​hen·​sive ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen(t)-siv 

: including much or all : full

a comprehensive course of study

a comprehensive list

comprehensiveness noun

Legal Definition

comprehensive

adjective

com·​pre·​hen·​sive ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen-siv 

: covering completely or broadly

a comprehensive insurance policy