[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

comprehensive \com`prehen"sive\, a. cf. f. compr'ehensif.
   1. including much; comprising many things; having a wide
      scope or a full view.
      1913 webster

            a very comprehensive definition.      --bentley.
      1913 webster

            large and comprehensive idea.         --channing.
      1913 webster

   2. having the power to comprehend or understand many things.
      "his comprehensive head." --pope.
      1913 webster

   3. zool. possessing peculiarities that are characteristic
      of several diverse groups.
      1913 webster

   note: the term is applied chiefly to early fossil groups
         which have a combination of structures that appear in
         more fully developed or specialized forms in later
         groups. synthetic, as used by agassiz, is nearly
         synonymous.

   syn: extensive; wide; large; full; compendious.
        1913 webster

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

comprehensive
     adj 1: including all or everything; "comprehensive coverage"; "a
            comprehensive history of the revolution"; "a
            comprehensive survey"; "a comprehensive education"
            ant: noncomprehensive
     2: broad in scope; "a comprehensive survey of world affairs"
     3: being the most comprehensive of its class; "an unabridged
        dictionary"
see also:
noncomprehensive 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

107 moby thesaurus words for "comprehensive":
   absolute, across-the-board, aggregate, all, all-comprehensive,
   all-embracing, all-encompassing, all-inclusive, all-out,
   all-pervading, ample, blanket, born, broad, broad-based, capacious,
   clean, clear, coincident, compact, compendious, complete,
   concurrent, congenital, conjoint, conjugate, conjunct,
   consequential, considerable, consummate, copious, corporate, deep,
   deep-dyed, downright, dyed-in-the-wool, egregious, encompassing,
   encyclopedic, entire, exhaustive, expansive, extensive, full,
   generous, global, grand, grave, great, gross, heavy, holistic,
   inclusive, integral, integrated, intense, intensive, irresistible,
   joined, joint, main, maximum, mighty, omnibus, omnipresent, one,
   one and indivisible, out-and-out, outright, over-all, overall,
   panoramic, perfect, pervasive, plain, plenary, plumb, powerful,
   pure, radical, regular, serious, sheer, spacious, straight, strong,
   sweeping, synoptic, thorough, thoroughgoing, through-and-through,
   total, ubiquitous, unconditional, universal, unmitigated,
   unqualified, unreserved, unrestricted, utter, veritable,
   voluminous, whole, wholesale, wide, without exception,
   without omission

[4] : The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03)

comprehensive
     
        an early system on mit's whirlwind.
     
        listed in cacm 25:16, may 1959.
     
        2002-06-03
     
     
see also:
mit whirlwind 

Comprehensive >> C Words
Comprehensive, definition of term: Comprehensive
comprehensive_pag1.html

Comprehensive S >> C Words
Comprehensive S, definition of term: Comprehensive S
comprehensive+s_pag1.html