comprehensive

Borrowed from late Middle French compréhensif, from Late Latin comprehēnsīvus, from Latin comprehendō.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌkɒm.pɹɪˈhɛn.sɪv/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌkɑm.pɹəˈhɛn.sɪv/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (General Australian):

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• Hyphenation: com‧pre‧hen‧sive

comprehensive (comparative more comprehensive, superlative most comprehensive)

1. Broadly or completely covering; including a large proportion of something.

   When there are diametrically opposing views on a big issue that concerns millions of people, doing comprehensive research just makes sense.

   • 2023 August, Batchimeg Togoobat, Nan Wu, Xifeng Wang, Mengji Cao, Zhongtian Xu, “Viromic approach reveals differences in the composition, diversity and relative abundance of pumpkin viruses across main growing regions of China”, in Virology, volume 585, →DOI, pages 61-71:

     Nevertheless, the comprehensive comparative analysis of pumpkin viromes across various geographic regions by NGS remains deficient.

• (broadly or completely covering): exhaustive, thorough, all-encompassing, wide-ranging, sweeping

• incomprehensive

comprehensive (plural comprehensives)

1. (British) A comprehensive school.
   • 2013 July 19, Peter Wilby, “Finland spreads word on schools”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 30:

     Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.

comprehēnsīve

1. vocative masculine singular of comprehēnsīvus