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.
Mann didn’t play again in 2024-25, and just getting to his current situation — which included seeing a specialist for deeper diagnosis — has been an exhaustive process. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2025 There are quite a few records across Halsey‘s debut album, Badlands, that require an exhaustive exertion of energy when coming alive on stage. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2025 Despite an exhaustive search using drones, cadaver dogs and divers, authorities have never found Delphine's body or any other forensic evidence, The Times of London reports. Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025 That crime took place in 1998, showing the exhaustive appeals that often accompany death penalty cases. Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 18 Sep. 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 5 Oct. 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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