exhaustiveness

exhaustiveness

A researcher ensures the exhaustiveness of her literature review by checking every source.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • The quality of being comprehensive or covering all possibilities: "exhaustiveness" refers to the state or property of including every relevant item, detail, or aspect, leaving no part unexamined.
Usage Examples
  • (The report covered every relevant point without omission.)
  • (The analysis was not comprehensive enough.)
  • (The survey included every intended demographic group.)
Advanced Usage

  • "to strive for exhaustiveness": to aim for complete coverage or thoroughness.

    • The team strove for exhaustiveness in their data collection to avoid bias. (They worked to include all possible data points.)

  • "exhaustiveness in classification": the principle that a classification system should include all possible categories.

    • In biology, exhaustiveness is required when naming species to avoid gaps in taxonomy. (Every species must fit into a category.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Exhaustive (adj): covering all possibilities; thorough.

    • The exhaustive search found every missing document. (The search was complete and left nothing out.)

  • Exhaustively (adv): in a thorough, comprehensive manner.

    • The topic was exhaustively discussed in the meeting. (It was discussed covering all aspects.)

  • Exhaust (verb): to use up completely; also, to study or treat thoroughly (less common in this sense).

    • The researchers exhausted all possible sources of information. (They used every source available.)
Synonyms
  • Completeness: the state of being whole or having all parts.
  • Thoroughness: the quality of being careful and covering every detail.
  • Comprehensiveness: the quality of including many or all elements.
Related Idioms

  • Leave no stone unturned: to make every possible effort; to be exhaustive.

    • The detective left no stone unturned in the investigation. (The investigation was exhaustive.)

  • Cover all bases: to prepare for every possibility; to be exhaustive.

    • The plan covers all bases, including emergency scenarios. (The plan is exhaustive.)