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
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
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
What makes Wiz particularly compelling is its ability to integrate with more than 150 tools across the modern cloud stack, enabling organizations to build a comprehensive and dynamic security posture.
—Chris McHenry, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Detecting and analyzing these oddities can help Bédard, Sahu, and other researchers gain a more comprehensive understanding of the ultimate fate of many binary star systems.
—Andrew Paul Aug 6, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 2025
Over the long term, this strategy positions China not just as a global supplier, but as a comprehensive industrial leader—one capable of setting standards and shaping the direction of global markets.
—Time, 6 Aug. 2025
And hopefully, there’s a way forward on comprehensive immigration reform.
—David Culver, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for comprehensive
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Chris McHenry, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Detecting and analyzing these oddities can help Bédard, Sahu, and other researchers gain a more comprehensive understanding of the ultimate fate of many binary star systems.
—Andrew Paul Aug 6, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 2025
Over the long term, this strategy positions China not just as a global supplier, but as a comprehensive industrial leader—one capable of setting standards and shaping the direction of global markets.
—Time, 6 Aug. 2025
And hopefully, there’s a way forward on comprehensive immigration reform.
—David Culver, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for comprehensive
Cite this Entry
“Comprehensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comprehensive. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share