whole
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1whole
adjective \ˈhōl\Definition of WHOLE
1
a (1) : free of wound or injury : unhurt (2) : recovered from a wound or injury : restored (3) : being healed <whole of an ancient evil, I sleep sound — A. E. Housman> b : free of defect or impairment : intact c : physically sound and healthy : free of disease or deformity d : mentally or emotionally sound
2
: having all its proper parts or components : complete, unmodified <whole milk> <a whole egg>
3
a : constituting the total sum or undiminished entirety : entire <owns the whole island> b : each or all of the <took part in the whole series of athletic events>
4
a : constituting an undivided unit : unbroken, uncut <a whole roast suckling pig> b : directed to one end : concentrated <your whole attention>
5
a : seemingly complete or total <the whole idea is to help, not hinder> b : very great in quantity, extent, or scope <feels a whole lot better now>
6
: constituting the entirety of a person's nature or development <educate the whole student>
7
: having the same father and mother <whole brother>
— whole·ness noun
See Examples of WHOLE
- The doctor assured me that the whole procedure would only take a few minutes.
- The whole place was remodeled. It looks great now.
- It's been a whole week since I've seen him.
- I spent the whole summer traveling through Europe.
- The whole evening was a great success.
- She read the whole book in one day.
- I've been waiting my whole life for this.
- We decided to forget the whole thing.
- We cooked a whole chicken.
- The community center offers a whole range of programs.
Origin of WHOLE
Middle English hool healthy, unhurt, entire, from Old English hāl; akin to Old High German heil healthy, unhurt, Old Norse heill, Old Church Slavic cělŭ
First Known Use: before 12th century
Related to WHOLE
Synonym Discussion of WHOLE
whole, entire, total, all mean including everything or everyone without exception. whole implies that nothing has been omitted, ignored, abated, or taken away <read the whole book>. entire may suggest a state of completeness or perfection to which nothing can be added <the entire population was wiped out>. total implies that everything has been counted, weighed, measured, or considered <the total number of people present>. all may equal whole, entire, or total <all proceeds go to charity>.
2whole
nounDefinition of WHOLE
1
: a complete amount or sum : a number, aggregate, or totality lacking no part, member, or element
2
: something constituting a complex unity : a coherent system or organization of parts fitting or working together as one
— in whole
: to the full or entire extent : wholly —usually used in the phrase in whole or in part
— on the whole
1
: in view of all the circumstances or conditions : all things considered
2
: in general : in most instances : typically
Examples of WHOLE
- <the landlord eventually refunded the whole of our deposit>
First Known Use of WHOLE
14th century
3whole
adverbDefinition of WHOLE
2
: as a complete entity
Examples of WHOLE
- We cooked the chicken whole.
- The frog swallowed the fly whole.
First Known Use of WHOLE
14th century
whole
adjective \ˈhōl\ (Medical Dictionary)Medical Definition of WHOLE
: containing all its natural constituents, components, or elements : deprived of nothing by refining, processing, or separation <whole milk>
Learn More About WHOLE
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: whole binding
Previous Word in the Dictionary: whoever
All Words Near: whole
Previous Word in the Dictionary: whoever
All Words Near: whole
Seen & Heard 
What made you want to look up whole? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
