comprehensive

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌkɑm.pɹəˈhɛn.sɪv/ UK /ˌkɒm.pɹɪˈhɛn.sɪv/ See IPA manual

Freq #16910

Meanings

1

adj
including everything or nearly everything that is needed

The book gives a comprehensive guide to learning English.
2

adj
covering a wide range; broad in scope

They carried out a comprehensive survey of world affairs.
3

noun
a British state secondary school for children of all abilities

She teaches at the local comprehensive.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · including everything or... all-embracingall-encompassing broad exhaustive sweeping

2 adj · covering a wide range;... broad overall

Opposites

focusedincomprehensivelimited

Word family

Forms comprehensivelycomprehensivenesscomprehensives

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

comprehensive school
a secondary school that admits pupils across the range of academic abilities

Adjective + noun

Etymology

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

*gʰed- Proto-Indo-European compréhensif Middle French comprehēnsīvus la-lat comprehendō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# comprehensive

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌkɑm.pɹəˈhɛn.sɪv/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌkɒm.pɹɪˈhɛn.sɪv/
**Frequency rank:** 16910

## Meanings
1. including everything or nearly everything that is needed
2. covering a wide range; broad in scope
3. a British state secondary school for children of all abilities

## Examples
- The book gives a comprehensive guide to learning English.
- They carried out a comprehensive survey of world affairs.
- She teaches at the local comprehensive.

## Antonyms
- focused
- incomprehensive
- limited

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *gʰed-
- Root: compréhensif
- Root: comprehēnsīvus
- Root: comprehendō

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

## AI Etymology
comprehensive is an adjective and noun. It was borrowed from late Middle French compréhensif, from Late Latin comprehēnsīvus, from Latin comprehendō. Historical forms in the chain include *gʰed- (Proto-Indo-European), compréhensif (Middle French), comprehēnsīvus (Late Latin), and comprehendō (Latin). Current senses include including everything or nearly everything that is needed, covering a wide range; broad in scope, and a British state secondary school for children of all abilities.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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