whole

American  

[hohl] / hoʊl /

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:

   complete, integral, undiminished

   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:

   perfect, unimpaired

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.

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noun

wholes plural

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.

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.

whole British  

/ 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. informal entirely without a factual basis

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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. considered altogether; completely

5. 1. taking all things into consideration

   2. in general

whole More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing whole

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

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Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• wholeness
  noun
• self-whole
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• wholes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of whole

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

Explanation

Something that exists in its entirety is whole. If there are eight slices of pizza and you eat half, you've eaten four of them. If you eat the whole pizza, you've somehow managed to eat all eight slices. In terms of mental or physical health, whole describes someone who is healthy or uninjured. It might take you a while after a traumatic experience to feel whole again. Whole siblings are brothers and sisters who share both parents (as opposed to half siblings, who have only one parent in common). All the parts of an object taken collectively make up the whole of that object.

Example Sentences

“It’s not just the rise in prices. Prices have increased, quality has decreased, and the amounts have decreased,” says Gray, the Whole Foods shopper.

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

The board, in a unanimous order Monday, wrote that Whole Foods had raised “no substantial issues warranting review” of the election certification.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

Whole genome duplication is commonly found in cancer cells, and some cancer therapies can unintentionally trigger it as well.

From Science Daily • May 25, 2026

Whole life insurance, in contrast, carries fixed premiums and includes a cash-value component, and for that reason it comes at a much higher cost.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

Sometimes it rose to an aching chord that caught the throat, saying this is safety, this is warmth, this is the Whole.

From "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• full
• perfect