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

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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 … as I look into their black faces, their hope is so thorough and consuming it frightens me. — Bob Shacochis, Harper's, February 1995 a thorough understanding of the rules and regulations The investigator will have to be thorough.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The 1- and 2-bedroom villas decorated in breezy ocean colors have their own plunge pools, and the wellness program here is thorough and customizable. — Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, "Finding the Bali You Came For," 16 Nov. 2018 Richard Isaacson, the founder and director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, spends hours with each patient doing a thorough health analysis. — Linda Marsa, Discover Magazine, "A New Treatment for Alzheimer's? It Starts With Lifestyle," 16 Nov. 2018 If dry mouth isn't the problem, have your dentist do a thorough checkup to rule out any dental health issues, like gum disease, which Boghosian says can be caused by plaque. — Samantha Lefave, Redbook, "Why You Should Never Ignore Sweet-Smelling Urine (or These Other Body Odors)," 3 Aug. 2018 Musselman gave a pretty great response with an amazingly thorough response. — Alysha Tsuji, For The Win, "Nevada coach had a great answer when asked about mid-game bathroom breaks," 17 Mar. 2018 After some thorough investigation, royal watchers on Twitter shared footage of Kate Middleton also shutting her own door at public appearances. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton Has Closed Her Own Car Door Before So Everyone Calm Down," 26 Sep. 2018 Your contacts need to fit your eyes properly, which is why your doctor does a thorough examination of your eyes before writing your contact lens prescription. — Korin Miller, SELF, "7 Things That Can Cause Irritated, Scratchy Eyes," 29 June 2018 Beginning on July 1, the Mandel Jewish Community Center in Palm Beach Gardens will be converting its fitness center to a group exercise studio after a thorough assessment of its facility usage and community needs. — Marvin Glassman, Jewish Journal, "JCC summer programming changing with the times," 6 June 2018 Under the direction of Rev. Torgersen, Subbarow made a thorough study of Christian theology including the writings of Nels Ferre and Reinhold Niebuhr. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "We Are Scientists," 5 June 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.