in-depth

in-depth — adjective

1. done by examining every important part of something with great care, so that not

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

done by examining every important part of something with great care, so that nothing important is missed

Example

The Watanabe family asked for an in-depth explanation of the medical report before deciding.

attributive adjective: in-depth + explanation

Aiko's in-depth study of local plants took her three years to complete.

possessive + in-depth study: common noun pattern

Common collocations
  • in-depth analysis
  • in-depth study
  • in-depth report
  • in-depth discussion
  • in-depth review
  • in-depth investigation
  • in-depth interview
  • in-depth examination
  • in-depth research
  • in-depth look
Synonyms
  • thorough

    more general; suggests completeness but not necessarily the same level of fine detail as 'in-depth'

  • comprehensive

    emphasises covering a wide range of topics; 'in-depth' stresses depth within one topic

  • detailed

    closest in meaning; 'detailed' can describe any amount of detail, while 'in-depth' implies a thorough effort

  • exhaustive

    suggests that nothing has been left out; more absolute and formal than 'in-depth'

Antonyms
  • superficial

    opposite of thorough; only looking at the surface

  • cursory

    done quickly without attention to detail

  • shallow

    lacks the deep examination implied by 'in-depth'

Grammar Patterns

in-depth + noun

more in-depth + noun

the most in-depth + noun

Usage Note

Use the hyphenated form 'in-depth' before a noun (an in-depth analysis, an in-depth interview). Do not confuse with the adverbial phrase 'in depth' (no hyphen), which follows a verb: 'We discussed the topic in depth.'

Common Mistakes

We need an in depth review of the data.
We need an in-depth review of the data.
When used as an adjective before a noun, the compound must be hyphenated.
She gave a deep analysis of the problem.
She gave an in-depth analysis of the problem.
'Deep' suggests emotional or intellectual profundity; 'in-depth' means thorough and detailed.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe a high level of completeness, but each adds a different shade. 'Thorough' is the most general term and can apply to everyday tasks (a thorough cleaning), while 'in-depth' specifically suggests examining something layer by layer. 'Detailed' focuses on the presence of many small facts but does not guarantee that nothing was left out. 'Comprehensive' emphasises breadth — covering a wide range of topics — whereas 'in-depth' stresses depth within a single subject. 'Exhaustive' is the most absolute: an exhaustive search leaves nothing undiscovered, which is often impractical. For a report that looks at all angles of a problem, 'in-depth' is usually the best fit. A journalist might write 'an in-depth article on climate policy' but call it 'a thorough piece of reporting' when praising its quality.

thorough ↗comprehensive ↗exhaustive ↗detailed ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in-depth look at
  • in-depth knowledge of
  • in-depth understanding of

Etymology

English

The phrase 'in depth' (meaning 'thoroughly') has been used adverbially in English since the 1500s. By the mid-1900s, writers began hyphenating it to form an adjective that could be placed directly before a noun, creating the modern compound 'in-depth'. The hyphen signals that the two words work together as a single describing unit.