Nonexhaustive

Nonexhaustive is an adjective describing something that does not cover all possibilities or items. It signals that a statement, list, analysis, or search is incomplete by design or intention.

Common uses include nonexhaustive lists, nonexhaustive searches, or nonexhaustive descriptions, where the author aims to provide representative samples rather than an exhaustive catalog. The term is frequently encountered in manuals, academic writing, and online content to manage expectations and avoid implying completeness. Spelling variants include nonexhaustive and non-exhaustive; both are understood, though hyphenation is common in formal writing.

Examples of usage include: The following is a nonexhaustive list of symptoms. The search returned a nonexhaustive set of results due to query limitations. In linguistics or logic, nonexhaustive analyses may ignore edge cases for clarity.

In context, nonexhaustive emphasizes that additional items exist beyond those presented and that the scope is intentionally limited. It is commonly used to accompany disclaimers or clarifications about the limitations of a catalog, study, or method. The opposite of nonexhaustive is exhaustive, which implies complete coverage of all relevant items or cases.

See also: exhaustive, list, scope.