wholly

adverb

whol·​ly ˈhō(l)-lē 

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

Synonyms of wholly

• completely
• fully
• totally
• utterly
• quite
• perfectly
• entirely
• all
• thoroughly
• even
• fast

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

Her advice felt wholly new at the time. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 26 June 2026

That power is not wholly spent, nor wholly eclipsed, by anti-democratic forces. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 July 2026

Whether that’s fair is another matter, but the noise alone adds to an atmosphere which is not wholly positive. — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 26 June 2026

In our democratic experiment, our most fundamental duty is to see our neighbors as wholly human. — Dawn M. Turner, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hoolly, from hool whole

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for wholly

• coaly
• coli
• foley
• folie
• goalie
• holy
• lowly
• moly
• slowly
• tolly
• acholi
• emboli

Kids 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