1
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
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
wholeness
noun
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
Synonyms
Examples of whole in a Sentence
Adjective
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.
Noun
the landlord eventually refunded the whole of our deposit
Adverb
We cooked the chicken whole.
The frog swallowed the fly whole.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Daniyal Zafar, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Schwartz: This whole experience of looking back on the show, the making of the show, and the legacy of the show has been extremely gratifying.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 28 Nov. 2023
The greediest thieves go for the whole bike, and their tactics might trick you.
—Matt Jancer, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2023
Here’s how Minj and the whole family enjoy the dish to the fullest.
—Michelle Konstantinovsky, SELF, 27 Nov. 2023
The stage presentation, including the video, likely produced by Kento Yamada, created a whole new world.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 27 Nov. 2023
Tatcha is treating shoppers to a whole week of discounts.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2023
Can substitute with half-and-half or whole milk if needed.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2023
The whole family joined together in 2019, when the restaurateur received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
10 of 10
Hanging at Home
The group also gathers for less high-profile events too, of course.
—Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023
On the whole, Arcadia’s actors, who are undoubtedly capable of more, are painting with single colors and not bright ones.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2023
By controlling each facet—including the requisite software, server rack and cooling system—the bespoke design can better ensure that the whole is greater than the sum of its constituent parts.
—Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2023
Once cast, the pieces must be fitted together into a whole.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023
But the participants on the whole did not have their baseline cardiovascular risk factors—like cholesterol levels and blood pressure—under control, which can be done using existing tools such as statins and hypertension drugs.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 13 Nov. 2023
My first case was a 5-year-old girl whose mother had been killed along with her sister, and who had this massive wound in her right arm—the whole of the right arm.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 20 Oct. 2023
Grass fields are more expensive to maintain that turf on the whole, and they must be well kept and of high-quality grass, which can struggle in colder parts of the country in the winter months, CBS reported.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Ironically, though, the state is expected to see warmer-than-average conditions on the whole this winter, as weill the Pacific Northwest and northern New England.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2023
Katie Bourque, Good Housekeeping, 6 May 2023
Someone captured a deer eating a snake whole earlier this week.
—Vulture, 15 June 2023
Add two Hungarian wax peppers whole – keeping their stems on.
—Gabriele Regalbuto, Fox News, 6 July 2023
Between bites of banku –a delicious corn and cassava dough formed in single-serving balls – and whole-grilled, freshwater tilapia seasoned with a traditional blend of aromatic herbs and spices, Eshun shares the story of her upbringing in Ohio until her repatriation to Ghana in 2018.
—Tenille Clarke, Essence, 9 Jan. 2023
Today's commitment by Norfolk Southern is an important next step in the company's commitment to make the citizens of Ohio and of East Palestine whole after the recent derailment, a commitment Ohio will continue to monitor closely.
—Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 16 Mar. 2023
Several prominent investors issued bombastic predictions that if the federal government did not step in to make all Silicon Valley Bank depositors whole — both insured and uninsured — there would be more bank runs on Monday.
—Ken Sweet and Stan Choe, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Mar. 2023
Compounding the worry: The prospects of arranging a quick sale to another bank in order to keep depositors whole dimmed through the weekend.
—Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2023
But where Iris stands apart is in its protein: There's a whole-roasted quail that swims in a decadent sage and black-pepper butter sauce and finger-licking mastic-marinated lamb chops with black sesame.
—Scott Bay, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Nov. 2022
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Adjective
Don't just climb the corporate ladder—aim to build a whole new one.
—Daniyal Zafar, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Schwartz: This whole experience of looking back on the show, the making of the show, and the legacy of the show has been extremely gratifying.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 28 Nov. 2023
The greediest thieves go for the whole bike, and their tactics might trick you.
—Matt Jancer, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2023
Here’s how Minj and the whole family enjoy the dish to the fullest.
—Michelle Konstantinovsky, SELF, 27 Nov. 2023
The stage presentation, including the video, likely produced by Kento Yamada, created a whole new world.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 27 Nov. 2023
Tatcha is treating shoppers to a whole week of discounts.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2023
Can substitute with half-and-half or whole milk if needed.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2023
The whole family joined together in 2019, when the restaurateur received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
10 of 10
Hanging at Home
The group also gathers for less high-profile events too, of course.
—Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023
Noun
On the whole, though, Hawley is much more restrained with the names compared to Season Four, which featured characters named Deafy Wickware, Doctor Senator, Rabbi Milligan, Constant Calamita, and Ethelrida Pearl Smutny, among many, many, many others.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023
On the whole, Arcadia’s actors, who are undoubtedly capable of more, are painting with single colors and not bright ones.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2023
By controlling each facet—including the requisite software, server rack and cooling system—the bespoke design can better ensure that the whole is greater than the sum of its constituent parts.
—Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2023
Once cast, the pieces must be fitted together into a whole.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023
But the participants on the whole did not have their baseline cardiovascular risk factors—like cholesterol levels and blood pressure—under control, which can be done using existing tools such as statins and hypertension drugs.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 13 Nov. 2023
My first case was a 5-year-old girl whose mother had been killed along with her sister, and who had this massive wound in her right arm—the whole of the right arm.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 20 Oct. 2023
Grass fields are more expensive to maintain that turf on the whole, and they must be well kept and of high-quality grass, which can struggle in colder parts of the country in the winter months, CBS reported.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Ironically, though, the state is expected to see warmer-than-average conditions on the whole this winter, as weill the Pacific Northwest and northern New England.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2023
Adverb
Slice your strawberries if desired (keep scrolling for more on freezing whole vs. sliced).
—Katie Bourque, Good Housekeeping, 6 May 2023
Someone captured a deer eating a snake whole earlier this week.
—Vulture, 15 June 2023
Add two Hungarian wax peppers whole – keeping their stems on.
—Gabriele Regalbuto, Fox News, 6 July 2023
Between bites of banku –a delicious corn and cassava dough formed in single-serving balls – and whole-grilled, freshwater tilapia seasoned with a traditional blend of aromatic herbs and spices, Eshun shares the story of her upbringing in Ohio until her repatriation to Ghana in 2018.
—Tenille Clarke, Essence, 9 Jan. 2023
Today's commitment by Norfolk Southern is an important next step in the company's commitment to make the citizens of Ohio and of East Palestine whole after the recent derailment, a commitment Ohio will continue to monitor closely.
—Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 16 Mar. 2023
Several prominent investors issued bombastic predictions that if the federal government did not step in to make all Silicon Valley Bank depositors whole — both insured and uninsured — there would be more bank runs on Monday.
—Ken Sweet and Stan Choe, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Mar. 2023
Compounding the worry: The prospects of arranging a quick sale to another bank in order to keep depositors whole dimmed through the weekend.
—Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2023
But where Iris stands apart is in its protein: There's a whole-roasted quail that swims in a decadent sage and black-pepper butter sauce and finger-licking mastic-marinated lamb chops with black sesame.
—Scott Bay, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Nov. 2022
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whole.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English hool healthy, unhurt, entire, from Old English hāl; akin to Old High German heil healthy, unhurt, Old Norse heill, Old Church Slavonic cělŭ
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adverb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of whole was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing whole
Dictionary Entries Near whole
Cite this Entry
“Whole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whole. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
whole
1 of 2 adjective1
: being in healthy or sound condition : free from sickness or injury : well
your care made me whole again
2
a
: having all its proper parts or elements : complete
whole grain
whole milk
b
: not cut up or in pieces
a whole roast chicken
3
: not divided or scattered
your whole attention
4
: being the total or full amount or extent of something
owns the whole island
5
: each or all of the
the whole 10 days
whole
2 of 2 noun1
: a complete amount or sum
2
: something whole or entire
the whole of an apple
Medical Definition
whole
adjective
: containing all its natural constituents, components, or elements : deprived of nothing by refining, processing, or separation
whole milk
More from Merriam-Webster on whole
Nglish: Translation of whole for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of whole for Arabic Speakers
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