exhaustive

adjective

ex·​haus·​tive ig-ˈzȯ-stiv How to pronounce exhaustive (audio)
: including all possibilities : thorough
conducted an exhaustive search
exhaustively adverb
exhaustiveness noun
exhaustivity noun

Examples of exhaustive in a Sentence

The list was long but not exhaustive. after an exhaustive search of our house, we still hadn't found the cat
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but these are a few of the biggest risers who have caught my eye since the season began. Corey Pronman, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025 In reality - and as essential as data management frameworks no doubt are - a holistic approach to total data engineering along with an exhaustive approach to data provenance control and onward data propagation, preparation and proliferation is also needed. Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025 Power companies have increased prices and added an exhaustive list of fees to our bills. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2025 They are considered an iconic dish in the city, according to one exhaustive study. Miguel Otárola, The Denver Post, 14 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for exhaustive 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1789, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exhaustive was circa 1789

Dictionary Entries Near exhaustive

Cite this Entry

“Exhaustive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhaustive. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

exhaustive

adjective
ex·​haus·​tive ig-ˈzȯ-stiv How to pronounce exhaustive (audio)
: trying all possibilities : thorough
an exhaustive search
exhaustively adverb
exhaustiveness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on exhaustive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!