thorough

adjective

thor·ough | \ ˈthər-(ˌ)ō

, sometimes ˈthȯr-; ˈthə-(ˌ)rō\

Definition of thorough

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : carried through to completion : exhaustive a thorough search

2a : marked by full detail a thorough description

b : careful about detail : painstaking a thorough scholar

c : complete in all respects thorough pleasure

d : having full mastery (as of an art) a thorough musician

thorough

preposition

Definition of thorough (Entry 2 of 3)

archaic

: through

thorough

adverb

Definition of thorough (Entry 3 of 3)

archaic

: through

Other Words from thorough Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about thorough

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Examples of thorough in a Sentence

Adjective

… one realized that it was the restaurant's thorough and even comic Frenchness that had made it so entirely New York. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2004 Bruce tells me to squat down and Koani sidles up, ears flattened, tail tucked away, and gives my face a thorough licking. — Nicholas Evans, Daily Telegraph, 26 Sept. 1998 The job was uncharacteristically thorough for a Russian contract killing—three different types of bullets riddled Mikho's body. — New Republic, 15 Dec. 1997 a thorough understanding of the rules and regulations The investigator will have to be thorough.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The family points out that Jackson was subjected to a thorough investigation that included a surprise raid of his home, the Neverland Ranch, but was still acquitted at his criminal trial in 2005, in a case involving another young man. — Andrew Dalton, The Seattle Times, "Michael Jackson family condemns new documentary on accusers," 29 Jan. 2019 Both Amazon and Apple have pushed back against the report with unusually thorough and detailed denials, leaving many security experts questioning the reporter’s sources. — Makena Kelly, The Verge, "Tampered Chinese Ethernet port used to hack ‘major US telecom,’ says Bloomberg report," 9 Oct. 2018 Among them were the presentation of a thorough and transparent budget, and establishing a process for reining in salaries in Napolitano’s office. — Nanette Asimov, San Francisco Chronicle, "A year after scathing audit, Janet Napolitano’s office to present transparent budget," 23 May 2018 Economic simulation generation and process automation are lending a hand to provide more thorough analyses, and allowing organizations to better plan and position their portfolios. — Houston Chronicle, "Guest column: Stress testing powers strategic planning for energy companies," 7 May 2018 The office of the U.S. trade representative conducted a thorough investigation of Chinese policies this March and filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization. — Martin Feldstein, WSJ, "Tariffs Should Target Chinese Lawlessness, Not the Trade Deficit," 27 Dec. 2018 The first season of the podcast chronicles Lindsey’s amateur, yet thorough, investigation into the mystery, which takes major twists and turns. — Allie Volpe, Teen Vogue, "10 Best Crime Podcasts," 30 Aug. 2018 Which in turn makes me more excited, and thorough, with the actual cleansing. — Elizabeth Kiefer, Glamour, "The $8 Clips That Changed My Face Washing Routine," 30 July 2018 In a reasonably thorough exploration of the phenomena, a pair of theoretical physicists has answered some of these questions. — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "Bose Einstein condensate may reveal supersolid’s secrets," 28 Nov. 2018

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