exhaustive

adjective

ex·​haus·​tive ig-ˈzȯ-stiv How to pronounce exhaustive (audio)
: including all possibilities : thorough
conducted an exhaustive search
exhaustively adverb
exhaustiveness noun
exhaustivity noun

Examples of exhaustive in a Sentence

The list was long but not exhaustive. after an exhaustive search of our house, we still hadn't found the cat
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Stop & Shop offers grocery items galore and delivery service; Amazon’s exhaustive product offering makes for a one-stop-shop depot. Emily Scherny, USA Today, 30 June 2025 The website Emojipedia, aiming to provide an exhaustive catalog of emoji, arrived in 2013. Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 29 June 2025 Today’s Round 1 analysis (which also includes a list of the top prospects available to start Round 2 tomorrow), will be followed on Day 2 by an exhaustive look at almost all of the 224 picks made across seven rounds, analyzing the complete hauls of each club. Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 27 June 2025 Clinics created exhaustive standards of care to comply with the REMS and to reduce their legal risk. Liana Simstrom, NPR, 22 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for exhaustive

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1789, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exhaustive was circa 1789

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Cite this Entry

“Exhaustive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhaustive. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

exhaustive

adjective
ex·​haus·​tive ig-ˈzȯ-stiv How to pronounce exhaustive (audio)
: trying all possibilities : thorough
an exhaustive search
exhaustively adverb
exhaustiveness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on exhaustive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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