1Complete; including all or nearly all elements or aspects of something.

1. 1.1Of large content or scope; wide-ranging.
   ‘a comprehensive collection of photographs’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Its thorough research and comprehensive scope should prove invaluable for anyone seriously interested in the subject.’
   • ‘The design phase is comprehensive in scope, tackling everything from content and design to functionality and user interface.’
   • ‘The Senate Inquiry into mandatory sentencing was broad-ranging, thorough and comprehensive in terms of scope and evidence.’
   • ‘This is a wide ranging and comprehensive survey of children and the experience of childhood.’
   • ‘Making broad scope, comprehensive documentaries about an event the magnitude of World War II is a tall order, often with less than satisfactory results.’
   • ‘Because it is comprehensive in scope and specific in detail, it can eliminate the ambiguities that exist in most partnerships.’
   • ‘The volume does not cover all issues in detail and it was not intended to be comprehensive in scope.’
   • ‘Sir Gawaine's British West Indies collection is part of a wider comprehensive collection of stamps from Great Britain and the British Empire.’
   • ‘The authors make no claims for completeness, indeed are transparent about the gaps, yet this book is impressively comprehensive in scale, scope and analytical range.’
   • ‘Yet, inevitably, the comprehensive scope of Ackroyd's book requires that he sometimes sacrifice elaboration for example, depth for breadth.’
   • ‘Naval historians would do well to familiarize themselves with his style of narrative, his comprehensive coverage, and scope of research.’
   • ‘Unbelievable in its comprehensive scope, the vast material supports a view of Africa as the archetypal artistic environment.’
   • ‘Although debate on the measure was fairly abbreviated, the resulting measure was comprehensive in both its scope and design.’
   • ‘Their collaborative research is quite comprehensive in its scope.’
   • ‘It combines a comprehensive scope, concisely written entries and the best in current biblical scholarship.’
   • ‘The Convention is extraordinarily comprehensive in scope.’
   • ‘This presentation is comprehensive in scope but lacks much historical analysis.’
   • ‘The Guardian's more comprehensive survey also came up with far higher job losses than the government admits.’
   • ‘Their collaborative research is quite comprehensive in its scope.’
   • ‘The volume does not cover all issues in detail and it was not intended to be comprehensive in scope.’
   Synonyms

   inclusive, all-inclusive, complete

   View synonyms
2. 1.2(of automobile insurance) providing coverage for most risks, including damage to the policyholder's own vehicle.
   ‘comprehensive and collision insurance’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Some cost items will differ for different vehicle types, notably comprehensive insurance, but in the main it is reasonable to use fleet size.’
   • ‘Is it possible to take out one insurance policy, preferably comprehensive, that would cover us all to drive either of the cars?’
   • ‘The good news for motorists with fully comprehensive insurance is that they are covered if their car has water damage.’
   • ‘He agreed only after ensuring that he was covered under the defendant's comprehensive car insurance policy.’
   • ‘For example, a 56-year-old driving a 2001 Toyota Avensis received a quote of €735 from Axa for comprehensive insurance.’
   • ‘He thought that all drivers should be made to have fully comprehensive insurance and that driving jobs should be given to local people.’
   • ‘This insurance is designed to protect motorists from payout shortfalls that could arise between the original price paid for a car and the comprehensive insurance payout in the case of loss.’
   • ‘It must be comprehensive insurance, because you're driving someone else's car.’
   • ‘If you happen to own a posh motor, or are particularly accident-prone, then you might consider taking out fully comprehensive insurance.’
   • ‘Motorists with fully comprehensive insurance mistakenly think they have insurance for the contents of their car along with the car itself.’
   • ‘Even those who have fully comprehensive motor insurance while driving in the UK need to check, as most policies only offer third-party cover on the continent.’
   • ‘The cost of comprehensive motor insurance has almost doubled, rising by 86%.’
   • ‘A typical comprehensive and collision policy will usually only cover the fair market value for your car.’
3. 1.3US An examination testing a student's command of a special field of knowledge.
   ‘The reality of life in Wereilu and in Ethiopia is that few students are able to pass the comprehensive examinations with a high enough mark to continue with tertiary education.’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Currently in our program, a senior comprehensive examination is given, but is not required for either graduation or as eligibility to take a national certification examination.’
   • ‘As an example, one student who by his own admission did not study for, nor pass the senior comprehensive examination, took a job that required that he have national certification.’
   • ‘Unlike UMMC, 16 of the 40 respondents stated that passage of the comprehensive examination was a requirement for graduation.’
   • ‘A master's degree usually involves one to two years of coursework, a comprehensive examination over that coursework, and in some cases, a thesis.’
   • ‘One student in a special AAC&U Annual Meeting focus group told that she had even opted to take one of her comprehensive examinations in pedagogy.’

2archaic Relating to understanding.

in full comprehensive schoolA secondary school catering to children of all abilities from a given area.