comprehensive

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adjective com·pre·hen·sive \ ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen(t)-siv , -prē- \

Definition of comprehensive

1 :covering completely or broadly :inclusive

comprehensive examinations

comprehensive insurance

2 :having or exhibiting wide mental grasp

comprehensive knowledge

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comprehensively

adverb

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comprehensiveness

noun

See comprehensive defined for English-language learners

See comprehensive defined for kids

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 of comprehensive from the Web

One way to think of them is as comprehensive, partial, personal, sectoral or secondary.

— ben bartenstein, Bloomberg.com, "How Navigating Sanctions Can Trip Up Investors: QuickTake Q&A," 30 Aug. 2017
This column in the right-leaning Federalist offers a comprehensive account of the role that politics played over the past decade.

— michelle ye hee lee, Washington Post, "Was former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio’s criminal conviction an Obama ‘political witch hunt’?," 30 Aug. 2017
The guidelines are believed to represent the first comprehensive, public policy by a national bishops’ conference on the issue, which has long been shrouded in secrecy.

— nicole winfield, The Seattle Times, "Irish church aims to end stigma for the children of priests," 22 Aug. 2017
Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the weather predictions that day, but keep checking your local forecast as eclipse-time gets closer.

— tess koman, Cosmopolitan, "Everything You Need to Know About the August 21, 2017 Solar Eclipse," 19 Aug. 2017
The tips in Chapter 16 for people shopping for long-term care residences of various sorts are particularly comprehensive.

— ron lieber, New York Times, "Hard-Won Advice in Books on Aging and Elder Care," 18 Aug. 2017
Also suggested was finding ways to protect all areas of the tower where water can get in and making sure to obtain fair and comprehensive warranties from contractors doing the work.

— bill bird, Naperville Sun, "How serious are structural issues at Moser Tower? Testing to find out starts this fall," 17 Aug. 2017
For a full rundown of all the free museum days in August, check out this comprehensive list from We Like LA.

— joe donatelli, Los Angeles Magazine, "All of L.A.’s Free Museum Days in August," 1 Aug. 2017
Fifth is the menu that the prime minister herself favours: a deep and comprehensive free-trade deal.

— The Economist, "The six flavours of Brexit," 22 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'comprehensive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.