exhaustively en · ADV
Pronunciation
- /ɛɡˈzɑ.stɪv.li/ (US)
- /ɛɡˈzɔː.stɪv.li/ (UK)
- (US) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰ Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰs Proto-Italic *eks Latin ex Latin ex- Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews-ye-tider. Proto-Italic *auziō Latin hauriō Latin exhauriō Latin exhaustus Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin -īvus Medieval Latin exhaustīvusbor. English exhaustive Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English exhaustively From exhaustive + -ly.
Meanings
-
In an exhaustive manner.
While dictionaries might aspire to be exhaustively comprehensive, or even completist, it is doubtful whether any dictionary ever truly attempts to cover the entirety of the flora and fauna of a living language due to the overwhelming number of entries this would necessitate.
2016, James Lambert, “Ornithonymy and Lexicographical Selection Criteria”, in International Journal of Lexicography, volume 30, number 1, pages 39–62:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most exhaustively | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more exhaustively | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |