holistic

adjective

ho·lis·tic hō-ˈli-stik

: of or relating to holism

: relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts

holistic medicine attempts to treat both the mind and the body

holistic ecology views humans and the environment as a single system

holistically

hō-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē

adverb

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Look at the Big Picture With Holistic

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" expresses the essence of holism, a term coined by the great South African general and statesman Jan Smuts in 1926. Holism generally opposes the Western tendency toward analysis, the breaking down of wholes into parts sometimes to the point that "you can't see the forest for the trees". Holism is an important concept in the sciences and social sciences, and especially in medicine. Holistic medicine tries to treat the "whole person" rather than focusing too narrowly on single symptoms. It emphasizes the connections between the mind and the body, avoids the overuse of drugs, and has borrowed such practices from Eastern traditions as acupuncture and yoga.

Example Sentences

In a world of specialization, we have been trained to think of medicine as a separate world—when we are sick, we go to doctors and follow their advice. This is starting to change, with the increasing popularity of alternative and holistic approaches to overall health and well-being. —

Gareth Cook, Boston Globe, 9 June 2002

The Gaia hypothesis is certainly top-down and holistic, and it's now generally accepted … Organisms have not just adapted to different physical environments; they also modify and improve the environment for their own good—just like people. —

Tom Ghaffin, Natural History, October 1998

People with supermarket carts. When did these things come out of the stores and into the streets. She saw these things everywhere … filled with living trivia, the holistic dregs of everything if that is correctly put. —

Don DeLillo, Mao II, 1991

Holistic medicine attempts to treat both the mind and the body. We need to take a more holistic approach to improving our schools.

Recent Examples on the Web His work is marked by a holistic approach that embraces the necessities of living. —

ELLE Decor, 17 May 2023 The Diestel family has been raising award-winning turkeys in Sonora, California since 1949, with a special focus on animal welfare, holistic farming, and sustainability without compromise. —

Ashley Martens, redbookmag.com, 10 May 2023 That means combining the data from each of the different sources (ERP, MES, PLC and SCADA) to understand the data’s context and get a holistic picture of what’s going on. —

John Clemons, Forbes, 4 May 2023 This document, like similar versions in other militaries, offers a holistic vision of what kinds of conflicts the country is prepared to fight in the future. —

Kelsey D. Atherton, Popular Science, 2 May 2023 As the lobbying community catches up with this shift to a more holistic stakeholder approach, principles are needed to navigate when and how to lobby. —

Maureen Kline, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2023 Rallis said his approach to Simmons and other players with versatility will be holistic in nature with teaching involved. —

José M. Romero, The Arizona Republic, 9 Mar. 2023 The team helps each guest detox and set better eating habits with holistic and tailored plans. —

Liz Krieger, Town & Country, 1 Mar. 2023 Instagram influencers peddling holistic everything. —

Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'holistic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.