whole

[ hohl ]

adjective

1. comprising the full quantity, amount, extent, number, etc., without diminution or exception; entire, full, or total:

   He ate the whole pie. They ran the whole distance.

   Synonyms: undiminished, complete, integral

   Antonyms: partial

2. containing all the elements properly belonging; complete:

   We have a whole set of antique china.

3. undivided; in one piece:

   to swallow a thing whole.

4. Mathematics. integral, or not fractional.
5. not broken, damaged, or impaired; intact:

   Thankfully, the vase arrived whole.

   Synonyms: unimpaired, perfect

6. uninjured or unharmed; sound:

   He was surprised to find himself whole after the crash.

7. pertaining to all aspects of human nature, especially one's physical, intellectual, and spiritual development:

   education for the whole person.

noun

1. the whole assemblage of parts or elements belonging to a thing; the entire quantity, account, extent, or number:

   He accepted some of the parts but rejected the whole.

   Synonyms: aggregate, totality

   Antonyms: part

2. a thing complete in itself, or comprising all its parts or elements.
3. an assemblage of parts associated or viewed together as one thing; a unitary system.

whole

/ həʊl /

adjective

1. containing all the component parts necessary to form a total; complete

   a whole apple

2. constituting the full quantity, extent, etc
3. uninjured or undamaged
4. healthy
5. having no fractional or decimal part; integral

   a whole number

6. of, relating to, or designating a relationship established by descent from the same parents; full

   whole brothers

7. out of whole cloth informal.
   entirely without a factual basis

adverb

1. in an undivided or unbroken piece

   to swallow a plum whole

noun

1. all the parts, elements, etc, of a thing
2. an assemblage of parts viewed together as a unit
3. a thing complete in itself
4. as a whole
   considered altogether; completely
5. on the whole
   1. taking all things into consideration
   2. in general

Derived Forms

• ˈwholeness, noun

Other Words From

• whole·ness noun
• self-whole adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of whole¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English adjective and noun hole, hool, Old English adjective hāl; cognate with Dutch heel, German heil, Old Norse heill; hale ¹, heal; spelling with w reflects dialect form

Word History and Origins

Origin of whole¹

Old English hāl, hǣl; related to Old Frisian hāl, hēl, Old High German heil, Gothic hails; compare hale ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. as a whole, all things included or considered; altogether:

   As a whole, the relocation seems to have been beneficial.

2. on / upon the whole,
   1. in view of all the circumstances; after consideration:

      There were upsides and downsides, but on the whole I thought it best to make the trip now rather than later.

   2. disregarding exceptions; in general:

      On the whole, the neighborhood is improving.

3. out of whole cloth, without foundation in fact; fictitious:

   a story made out of whole cloth.

More idioms and phrases containing whole

• as a whole
• go whole hog
• on the whole
• out of whole cloth

Synonym Study

Whole, total mean the entire or complete sum or amount. The whole is all there is; every part, member, aspect; the complete sum, amount, quantity of anything, not divided; the entirety: the whole of one's property, family. Total also means whole, complete amount, or number, but conveys the idea of something added together or added up: The total of their gains amounted to millions.

Example Sentences

The government's independent advisory body has looked at all the evidence and is satisfied that fortification is the right course of action for society as a whole.

From BBC

"That's the last thing I knew of that whole evening," she says.

From BBC

In 2024, skepticism that might have previously lasted a whole news cycle now evaporates the same day.

From Salon

“See, there’s a whole part of my life that nobody knows about,” Manson is heard saying in one of the tapes, which feature in a new documentary series Making Manson.

From BBC

She told the BBC that many, often older, viewers "set their whole day" around watching the episodes.

From BBC

Related Words

• mature
• safe