1
: to the full or entire extent : completely
a wholly owned subsidiary
2
: to the exclusion of other things : solely
a book dealing wholly with herbs
Examples of wholly in a Sentence
She is wholly devoted to her children.
An infant is wholly dependent on its mother.
The claim is wholly without merit.
Recent Examples on the Web
And neither markets nor investors can afford to wholly deny the environmental physics in front of them.
—
Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Activists there leveraged this wholly unanticipated outcome to accelerate the rise of an organized antislavery campaign after 1783.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
But more than anything, the couple wants to raise their child to be independent and wholly themselves.
—Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Lawrence and Pattinson are both incredible physical actors, existing wholly in their bodies here.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wholly
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Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Activists there leveraged this wholly unanticipated outcome to accelerate the rise of an organized antislavery campaign after 1783.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
But more than anything, the couple wants to raise their child to be independent and wholly themselves.
—Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Lawrence and Pattinson are both incredible physical actors, existing wholly in their bodies here.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wholly
Cite this Entry
“Wholly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wholly. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wholly
adverb
whol·ly
ˈhōl-(l)ē 
1
: to the full or entire extent : completely
a wholly different view
2
: to the exclusion of other things : solely
a book devoted wholly to sports cars
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