comprehensive
Americanadjective
-
of large scope; covering or involving much; inclusive.
a comprehensive study of world affairs.
-
comprehending or thoroughly understanding with one's mind; having an extensive mental range or grasp, as of a particular subject or many subjects.
-
Insurance. covering or providing broad protection against loss.
noun
-
Also called comprehensive examination. Informal, none comprehensives. none comps an examination of extensive coverage given to measure a student's general progress, proficiency in their major field of study, or the like.
-
the detailed layout of an advertisement, showing placement of photographs, illustrations, copy, etc., as for presentation to a client.
adjective
-
of broad scope or content; including all or much
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(of a car insurance policy) providing protection against most risks, including third-party liability, fire, theft, and damage
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having the ability to understand
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of, relating to, or being a comprehensive school
noun
Other Word Forms
- comprehensively adverb
- comprehensiveness noun
- noncomprehensive adjective
- noncomprehensively adverb
- noncomprehensiveness noun
- precomprehensive adjective
- precomprehensively adverb
- precomprehensiveness noun
- quasi-comprehensive adjective
- quasi-comprehensively adverb
- uncomprehensive adjective
- uncomprehensively adverb
- uncomprehensiveness noun
Etymology
Origin of comprehensive
First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin comprehēnsīvus; see comprehension, -ive
Explanation
When you want to describe something that includes all or most details, you can use the adjective comprehensive. If you get the comprehensive treatment at a spa, it might include a massage, a manicure and a facial. Comprehensive is from Latin comprehensivus, from comprehensus, the source of English comprehend. In business, comprehensive insurance is insurance that covers a broad range, offering protection against most risks of a certain type. It applies mainly to car insurance.
Vocabulary lists containing comprehensive
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Grade 9, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Acting president Delcy Rodriguez on Thursday hiked the monthly "comprehensive minimum income" from $190 to $240 -- a package comprised mostly of government bonuses that do not count toward retirement benefits or holiday pay.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
Devgan-Kacker pointed to Ventura County’s agriculture industry, saying it depends on a stable workforce and that broad deportation of nonviolent residents is not a substitute for comprehensive reform of the immigration system.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
To address this gap, researchers carried out a comprehensive analysis of exercise therapies.
From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2026
Nine of them have come in the last two games following comprehensive wins over Burnley and the Black Cats which should provide the platform for survival.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
Blimey O'Riley, this, this, is precisely the problem with comprehensive schools.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
