wholly

[hoh-lee, hohl-lee]

See more synonyms for wholly on Thesaurus.com

adverb

entirely; totally; altogether; quite.
to the whole amount, extent, etc.
so as to comprise or involve all.

Origin of wholly

First recorded in 1250–1300, wholly is from the Middle English word holliche. See whole, -ly

Can be confusedholey holy wholly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for wholly

Contemporary Examples

The precision it took to craft such a cohesive, wholly compelling work over 12 years is nothing short of remarkable.
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’
Marlow Stern
January 6, 2015
Sex, then, is not wholly experiential but at least partially transactional.
Have Sperm, Will Travel: The ‘Natural Inseminators’ Helping Women Avoid the Sperm Bank
Elizabeth Picciuto
November 29, 2014
A group of New York chefs show The Daily Beast how to enliven, or wholly recast, holiday table staples.
Thanksgiving Favorites, With a Twist
Sara Sayed, The Daily Beast Video
November 26, 2014
That is not to say the students who submit to the elitism and racism promoted by the USC Greek system are wholly sympathetic.
Stepford Sororities: The Pressures of USC’s Greek Life
Maya Richard Craven
November 17, 2014
Her borderline apologetic view is, frankly, a bit irksome, though not wholly unexpected based on Transmormon.
Thank God! To the Church, This Transgender Woman Is Just a Skank
Emily Shire
October 22, 2014

Historical Examples

I got to trust you wholly in these matters, and I know I can do it, too.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Still she was a girl; and no girl could be wholly without importance on such a day.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Robert, though not a professional fisherman, was not wholly inexperienced.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
You, my dear, are happy—May you always be so—and then I can never be wholly miserable.
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
One's attention was not called to it otherwise than as a wholly inevitable state.
The Conquest of Fear
Basil King

British Dictionary definitions for wholly

wholly

adverb

completely, totally, or entirely
without exception; exclusively

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

Word Origin and History for wholly

adv.

c.1300, probably from Old English *hallice; see whole + -ly (2).

wholly

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}wholly

Examples from the Web for wholly

Contemporary Examples

The precision it took to craft such a cohesive, wholly compelling work over 12 years is nothing short of remarkable.

Sex, then, is not wholly experiential but at least partially transactional.

A group of New York chefs show The Daily Beast how to enliven, or wholly recast, holiday table staples.

That is not to say the students who submit to the elitism and racism promoted by the USC Greek system are wholly sympathetic.

Her borderline apologetic view is, frankly, a bit irksome, though not wholly unexpected based on Transmormon.

Historical Examples

I got to trust you wholly in these matters, and I know I can do it, too.

Still she was a girl; and no girl could be wholly without importance on such a day.

Robert, though not a professional fisherman, was not wholly inexperienced.

You, my dear, are happy—May you always be so—and then I can never be wholly miserable.

One's attention was not called to it otherwise than as a wholly inevitable state.

wholly

Word Origin and History for wholly

adv.

Origin of wholly