The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Comprehensive \Com`pre*hen"sive\, a. [Cf. F. compr['e]hensif.]
   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]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

comprehensive
    adj 1: including all or everything; "comprehensive coverage"; "a
           comprehensive history of the revolution"; "a
           comprehensive survey"; "a comprehensive education" [ant:
           incomprehensive, noncomprehensive]
    2: broad in scope; "a comprehensive survey of world affairs"
    n 1: an intensive examination testing a student's proficiency in
         some special field of knowledge; "she took her comps in
         English literature" [syn: comprehensive examination,
         comprehensive, comp]

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 January 2023):

COMPREHENSIVE

   An early system on MIT's Whirlwind.

   [Listed in CACM 2(5):16, May 1959].

   (2002-06-03)