whole
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.
containing all the elements properly belonging; complete: We have a whole set of antique china.
undivided; in one piece: to swallow a thing whole.
Mathematics. integral, or not fractional.
not broken, damaged, or impaired; intact: Thankfully, the vase arrived whole.
uninjured or unharmed; sound: He was surprised to find himself whole after the crash.
pertaining to all aspects of human nature, especially one's physical, intellectual, and spiritual development: education for the whole person.
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.
a thing complete in itself, or comprising all its parts or elements.
an assemblage of parts associated or viewed together as one thing; a unitary system.
Idioms about whole
as a whole, all things included or considered; altogether: As a whole, the relocation seems to have been beneficial.
on / upon the whole,
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.
disregarding exceptions; in general: On the whole, the neighborhood is improving.
out of whole cloth, without foundation in fact; fictitious: a story made out of whole cloth.
Origin of whole
1synonym study For whole
Other words for whole
Opposites for whole
Other words from whole
- whole·ness, noun
- self-whole, adjective
Words that may be confused with whole
- hole, whole
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use whole in a sentence
The works, as wholes, are not altogether satisfactory in the matter of form, and appear somewhat patchy.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician | Frederick NiecksAs to virtue and vice, here is one whole opposed to another whole, and it is thus that the wholes are distinguished.
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3 | Plotinos (Plotinus)In the first place, it seems evident that we do not inherit our bodies as wholes, but in parts or units.
The Science of Human Nature | William Henry PyleThe barometer says fine weather—and we know what the Hawk can do even with a wholes'l breeze in her teeth.
Motor Matt's Peril, or, Cast Away in the Bahamas | Stanley R. MatthewsExperiences that to others are wholes, to the psychologist fall apart into their elements.
The Science of Human Nature | William Henry Pyle
British Dictionary definitions for whole
/ (həʊl) /
containing all the component parts necessary to form a total; complete: a whole apple
constituting the full quantity, extent, etc
uninjured or undamaged
healthy
having no fractional or decimal part; integral: a whole number
of, relating to, or designating a relationship established by descent from the same parents; full: whole brothers
out of whole cloth US and Canadian informal entirely without a factual basis
in an undivided or unbroken piece: to swallow a plum whole
all the parts, elements, etc, of a thing
an assemblage of parts viewed together as a unit
a thing complete in itself
as a whole considered altogether; completely
on the whole
taking all things into consideration
in general
Origin of whole
1Derived forms of whole
- wholeness, noun
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with 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.
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