intensive

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: in=ten=sive

CIDE DICTIONARY

intensive, a. [Cf. F. intensif. See Intense.].

•  Stretched; admitting of intension, or increase of degree; that can be intensified.  Sir M. Hale.  [1913 Webster]
•  Characterized by persistence; intent; unremitted; assiduous; intense.  Sir H. Wotton.  [1913 Webster]
•  Serving to give force or emphasis; as, an intensive verb or preposition.  [1913 Webster]
•  Designating, or pertaining to, any system of farming or horticulture, usually practiced on small pieces of land, in which the soil is thoroughly worked and fertilized so as to get as much return as possible; -- opposed to extensive.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

intensive, n. 

 That which intensifies or emphasizes; an intensive verb or word.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

intensive, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 thorough, vigorous; directed to a single point, area, or subject (intensive study; intensive bombardment).
2 of or relating to intensity as opp. to extent; producing intensity.
3 serving to increase production in relation to costs (intensive farming methods).
4 (usu. in comb.) Econ. making much use of (a labour-intensive industry).
5 Gram. (of an adjective, adverb, etc.) expressing intensity; giving force, as really in my feet are really cold.
--n. Gram. an intensive adjective, adverb, etc.

Idiom

intensive care medical treatment with constant monitoring etc. of a dangerously ill patient (also (with hyphen) attrib.: intensive-care unit).

Derivative

intensively adv. intensiveness n.

Etymology

F intensif -ive or med.L intensivus (as INTEND)

THESAURUS

intensive

absolute, all-embracing, all-encompassing, all-out, all-pervading, born, broad-based, clean, clear, comprehensive, concentrated, congenital, consummate, deep, deep-dyed, downright, dyed-in-the-wool, egregious, exhaustive, hard, intense, intensified, omnibus, omnipresent, out-and-out, outright, perfect, pervasive, plain, plumb, profound, pure, radical, regular, sheer, straight, sweeping, thorough, thoroughgoing, through-and-through, total, ubiquitous, unconditional, universal, unmitigated, unqualified, unreserved, unrestricted, utter, veritable, wholesale