on the whole

Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

on the whole

Yet it’s a straightforward narrative on the whole — all text, no subtext.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

Getting there from Boston takes an eternity but helpful staff lessen the blow a bit - though on the whole, they don't really know their way around either.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

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

“The gap between these two figures suggests IPO investors are, on the whole, expressing a healthy wariness toward newly public companies, with a handful of standout winners accounting for most of the gains,” said Rabe.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026

There was one dot of color on the whole thing, a little red heart.

From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli

Related Words

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