1. dealing with all aspects of something, all-encompassing
Professional
Social
comprehensive car insurance/training/policy
Something 'comprehensive' is all-inclusive or deals with all or every aspect of something in a detailed way. This adjective could be used to describe a study or research 'a comprehensive study of mitochondrial DNA' or 'comprehensive research into local folk traditions'. 'Comprehensive insurance' should cover you for most scenarios. A 'comprehensive education' is one which is considered well rounded with learning in many different areas and subjects. In the UK 'a comprehensive' (noun) is used to describe this particular kind of school. This is an adjective used more in business contexts.