holistic

American  

[hoh-lis-tik] / hoʊˈlɪs tɪk /

Sometimes wholistic

adjective

1. incorporating the concept of holism, or the idea that the whole is more than merely the sum of its parts, in theory or practice.

   holistic psychology.

2. Medicine/Medical. of or relating to a form of medicine, such as chiropractic or naturopathy, concerned with the care of the entire person in all aspects of well-being, including the physical, psychological, and social, rather than with diseases and symptoms in isolation, and often using natural or traditional remedies: Her holistic practitioner prescribed dietary changes and some relaxation exercises to reduce the frequency of her migraines.

   Someholistic medicine draws on traditional herbal preparations to maintain the health of different organs of the body.

   Her holistic practitioner prescribed dietary changes and some relaxation exercises to reduce the frequency of her migraines.

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holistic British  

/ həʊˈlɪstɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to a doctrine of holism

2. of or relating to the the medical consideration of the complete person, physically and psychologically, in the treatment of a disease

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Usage

What does holistic mean? Holistic is an adjective that describes things related to the idea that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. In other words, that the entirety of something must be considered instead of just considering its parts. This philosophy is called holism, and that’s where the word holistic comes from. Holistic can be used generally to describe approaches that incorporate elements of holism, but it is especially used in the contexts of psychology and alternative medicine. Example: Chiropractors often take a holistic approach to treating injuries by considering the entire body instead of just the affected area.

Other Word Forms

• holistically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of holistic

First recorded in 1926; hol(ism) + -istic

Explanation

Holistic means encompassing the whole of a thing, and not just the part. Holistic medicine looks at the whole person for answers, not just at physical symptoms. You might have heard of holistic medicine, which tries to treat someone as mind and body, instead of treating only the part of the patient that is most sick. People often talk about holism in relation to healing, whether of bodies or other things. A holistic approach to solving a labor dispute would take into consideration the needs of both the workers and the factory owners.

Example Sentences

Labrada Gore, a content creator who promotes ancestral health online as Holistic Hilda, said she learned about glyphosate nearly a decade ago and hasn’t shopped the same way since.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

Ahmad Ahmadian, executive director of Holistic Resilience, explained that his organization purchased Starlink devices in European countries or elsewhere, before moving them into Iran via "neighboring countries."

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

"Our analysis bridges ancient wisdom and modern science," said Han bixian, the first author of the review published in the Journal of Holistic Integrative Pharmacy.

From Science Daily • Feb. 9, 2026

"The idea is to make students socially responsible," said Muthamizh Kalaivizhi, state lead of Holistic Development programme in Tamil Nadu's government schools and founder of non-government organisation Neelam Foundation.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2025

Holistic education first addresses the question of what it is that the child needs to learn, and places the arts and aesthetics as key elements in teaching the developing child.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Related Words

• comprehensive
• integrated