First Known Use: 1614
Dictionary
comprehensive
adjective com·pre·hen·sive \ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen(t)-siv, -prē-\
: including many, most, or all things
: of or relating to a comprehensive school
Full Definition of COMPREHENSIVE
1
: covering completely or broadly : inclusive <comprehensive examinations> <comprehensive insurance>
2
: having or exhibiting wide mental grasp <comprehensive knowledge>
— com·pre·hen·sive·ly adverb
— com·pre·hen·sive·ness noun
See comprehensive defined for English-language learners
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Examples of COMPREHENSIVE
- 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
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Origin of COMPREHENSIVE
(see comprehension)
Related to COMPREHENSIVE
- Synonyms
- all-embracing, all-in [chiefly British], all-inclusive, broad-gauge (or broad-gauged), compendious, complete, encyclopedic, cover-all, cyclopedic, embracive, exhaustive, full, global, inclusive, in-depth, omnibus, panoramic, thorough, universal
- Antonyms
- imperfect, incomplete, partial
Rhymes with COMPREHENSIVE
COMPREHENSIVENESS Defined for Kids
comprehensive
adjective com·pre·hen·sive \ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen-siv\
Definition of COMPREHENSIVE for Kids
: including much : inclusive <a comprehensive course of study> <a comprehensive description>
Learn More About COMPREHENSIVE
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