on the whole

Idioms and Phrases

Considering everything, as in On the whole we enjoyed our vacation, although the hotel was not perfect by any means . [Late 1600s] Also see the synonyms by and large ; for the most part .

Example Sentences

We didn’t want to make a blanket statement on the whole thing.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump, his advisor and agents are attempting to impose a revolutionary project on the whole of American life that will, in various ways, likely impact every person in the country.

From Salon

Although lower-income and younger people are straining more to keep up with expenses and make debt payments, households on the whole are managing well.

From Los Angeles Times

While private citizens have a right to keep their medical records confidential, it is argued that political leaders do not have this luxury because their health can have an impact on the whole country.

From BBC

"We've seen a couple scuttle low but on the whole, it's been OK. It's on the slow side, but it's been alright."

From BBC

Related Words

• commonly
• consistently
• customarily
• frequently
• generally
• mostly
• naturally
• normally
• occasionally
• often
• ordinarily
• regularly
• routinely
• sometimes