"tending to exhaust all parts or phases, thorough," especially of a writing or speech which leaves no part of its subject unexamined, 1789, from exhaust (v.) + -ive. Related: Exhaustively; exhaustiveness.
Entries linking to exhaustive
exhaust v.
1530s, "to draw off or out, to use up completely," from Latin exhaustus, past participle of exhaurire "draw off, take away, use up, empty," from ex "off" (see ex-) + haurire "to draw up" (as water), from PIE *heusio- "to scoop." Meaning "make weak or helpless, as by fatigue" is from 1630s. Related: Exhausted; exhausting; exhaustible.
-ive
word-forming element making adjectives from verbs, meaning "pertaining to, tending to; doing, serving to do," in some cases from Old French -if, but usually directly from Latin adjectival suffix -ivus (source also of Italian and Spanish -ivo). In some words borrowed from French at an early date it has been reduced to -y (as in hasty, tardy).