on the whole
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Not only that, but Americans on the whole can more readily afford their debt thanks to higher incomes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026
Economist Andrew Zimbalist studies the impact of international sporting events like the World Cup and the Olympics on host cities, and on the whole it’s a bad deal economically, he says.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
It’s been another positive earnings season on the whole.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Since the fall of 2020, Currie has turned extremely bullish on the whole commodity complex during what he calls its “supercycle.”
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
They had to work harder in Bree, but Bob treated them well; so on the whole they were lucky: they missed a dark and dangerous journey.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
