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 is not an exhaustive list — and hopefully more will be added to it. Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025 Hopefully, the Joplin and Ronstadt projects will follow Be My Baby’s lead and focus on a singular moment in the musician’s saga, instead of an exhaustive life story start-to-finish. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025 Emery is known for his meticulousness in training and long, exhaustive hours spent in analysis meetings. Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025 Based on non-exhaustive tallies provided by the respective HEIs, here are some of the colleges and universities that have been impacted. Ely Brown, ABC News, 7 Apr. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Exhaustive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhaustive. Accessed 22 Apr. 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
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