comprehensiveness
UK[ˌkɒmprɪˈhensɪvnəs]US[ˌkɑːmprɪˈhensɪvnəs]
n
the quality or state of including or dealing with all or nearly all aspects of something.
Morpheme Breakdown
com
prehens
iveness
com
together
prehens
iveness
Etymology
the word 'comprehensiveness' is built upon the latin verb 'prehendere,' meaning 'to grasp.' the prefix 'com-' intensifies this to the sense of 'grasping together' or 'encompassing.' this literal notion of physically seizing evolved metaphorically into the mental act of understanding or including. the modern english suffix '-iveness' transforms the adjective 'comprehensive' into a noun denoting the abstract quality of being all-inclusive or complete, thus completing the journey from a physical action to an abstract attribute of scope and thoroughness.
Analysis
Structure: com + prehens + iveness
com- (latin, prefix meaning 'together' or 'with'), prehens (latin, from root 'prehendere' meaning 'to grasp' or 'to seize'), -iveness (english, suffix forming nouns meaning 'the quality or state of being [adjective]', from -ive + -ness)
Examples
the report was praised for its remarkable comprehensiveness, covering every facet of the issue.
the comprehensiveness of the insurance policy gave the family great peace of mind.
a dictionary's value is often judged by the comprehensiveness of its vocabulary entries.