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Synonyms

wholly

American  
[hoh-lee, hohl-lee] / ˈhoʊ li, ˈhoʊl li /

adverb

  1. entirely; totally; altogether; quite.

  2. to the whole amount, extent, etc.

  3. so as to comprise or involve all.

wholly British  
/ ˈhəʊllɪ /

adverb

  1. completely, totally, or entirely

  2. 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

Etymology

Origin of wholly

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Last month, a federal prosecutor in North Carolina resigned after submitting a filing that was almost wholly produced by the same artificial intelligence.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

That is marital property that should go wholly to your husband upon your death and to you upon his death.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

In both countries, more than two-thirds believe that responsibility for the state of the economy lies either wholly, or at least in part, with the UK government.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

Further, these applications must be wholly reliable, which a probabilistic system like AI will always struggle to be.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

“How unfortunate that you should have used such very strong expressions in speaking of Wickham to Mr. Darcy, for now they do appear wholly undeserved.”

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

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.