The term “comprehensive” means complete, thorough, and including all or nearly all elements or aspects of something. Because it implies all-inclusive coverage, the word is most commonly used in fields like insurance, education, and professional analysis. 1. Auto and Health Insurance
In the financial and insurance industries, “comprehensive” refers to broad protection against a wide range of risks:
Comprehensive Car Insurance: This is a specific coverage that protects your vehicle from non-collision events outside of your control. It covers damage from events like theft, vandalism, hitting an animal, cracked windshields, fire, or “acts of God” like hail, floods, and hurricanes. (Note: In some regions like the UK and Australia, “comprehensive car insurance” refers to a top-tier package that covers both non-collision damage and fault-based accident repairs).
Comprehensive Health Insurance: Often called major medical insurance, this refers to a health plan that provides an extensive range of care, covering everything from routine physician visits and prescriptions to emergency room stays and surgical procedures. 2. Education and Academics
Comprehensive Examinations (“Comps”): These are grueling, large-scope exams taken by college or graduate students to measure their overall proficiency and holistic knowledge of their major field of study before graduating or advancing to a doctoral dissertation.
Comprehensive Schools: In countries like the UK, a comprehensive school is a state secondary school that accepts children of all academic abilities together without selective entrance exams. 3. Business, Law, and Media Progressive What Is Comprehensive Insurance? – Progressive