definitions

whole

[ hohl ]
/ hoʊl /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR whole ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

noun

RELATED CONTENT

The Hardest Words To Spell Just Got A Whole Lot EasierTexts to mom. Emails to your boss. Resumes. Cover letters. Job applications. Orthography is everywhere, and, even if you're a master speller, most folks have that one word that has proven to be their spelling kryptonite. Now for a little good news. There's a secret to skirting those spelling speed bumps without revealing your fatal flaw: substitute a synonym.
READ MORE
Is There Such A Thing As A True Synonym?Thesauruses present a catalog of synonyms from which we may pick and choose words to put into our writing, but a thesaurus used alone is a very bad thing because there is no such thing as a true synonym. Every word has its particular place in the language.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

altogether, bodily, ensemble, generally, jointly, together, unanimously, wholly, collectively, communally, cooperatively, unitedly

Nearby words

whoa, whodunit, whodunnit, whoe'er, whoever, whole, whole ball of wax, the, whole blood, whole brother, whole gale, whole hog

Idioms

Origin of whole

before 900; Middle English hole, hool (adj. and noun), Old English hāl (adj.); cognate with Dutch heel, German heil, Old Norse heill; see hale1, heal; spelling with w reflects dial. form

SYNONYMS FOR whole

1 undiminished, integral, complete.
5 unimpaired, perfect.
8 totality, aggregate. 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.
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR whole ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

whole·ness, nounself-whole, adjective

Can be confused

hole whole (see synonym study at hole) (see synonym study at the current entry)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for as a whole

whole

/ (həʊl) /

adjective

adverb

in an undivided or unbroken pieceto swallow a plum whole

noun

Derived Forms

wholeness, noun

Word Origin for whole

Old English hāl, hǣl; related to Old Frisian hāl, hēl, Old High German heil, Gothic hails; compare hale 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for as a whole

whole

[ hōl ]

adj.

Not wounded, injured, or impaired; sound or unhurt.
Having been restored; healed.

n.

An entity or system made up of interrelated parts.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Idioms and Phrases with as a whole (1 of 2)

as a whole

All parts or aspects considered, altogether, as in I like the play as a whole, though the second act seemed somewhat slow. [Early 1800s] Also see on the whole.

Idioms and Phrases with as a whole (2 of 2)

whole

In addition to the idioms beginning with whole

  • whole ball of wax, the
  • whole hog
  • whole kit and caboodle, the
  • whole megillah
  • whole new ballgame, a
  • whole nine yards, the
  • whole shebang

also see:

  • as a whole
  • go whole hog
  • on the whole
  • out of whole cloth
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.