whole definition | Dictionary.com

whole

[hohl]

–adjective

1.	comprising the full quantity, amount, extent, number, etc., without diminution or exception; entire, full, or total: He ate the whole pie. They ran the whole distance.

2.	containing all the elements properly belonging; complete: We have a whole set of antique china.

3.	undivided; in one piece: to swallow a thing whole.

4.	Mathematics. integral, or not fractional.

5.	not broken, damaged, or impaired; intact: Thankfully, the vase arrived whole.

6.	uninjured or unharmed; sound: He was surprised to find himself whole after the crash.

7.	pertaining to all aspects of human nature, esp. one's physical, intellectual, and spiritual development: education for the whole person.

–noun

8.	the whole assemblage of parts or elements belonging to a thing; the entire quantity, account, extent, or number: He accepted some of the parts but rejected the whole.

9.	a thing complete in itself, or comprising all its parts or elements.

10.	an assemblage of parts associated or viewed together as one thing; a unitary system.

—Idioms

11.	as a whole, all things included or considered; altogether: As a whole, the relocation seems to have been beneficial.

12.

on or upon the whole,

a.	in view of all the circumstances; after consideration.

b.	disregarding exceptions; in general: On the whole, the neighborhood is improving.

13.	out of whole cloth, without foundation in fact; fictitious: a story made out of whole cloth.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME hole, hool (adj. and n.), OE hāl (adj.); c. D heel, G heil, ON heill; see hale ¹ , heal; sp. with w reflects dial. form

Related forms:

wholeness, noun

Synonyms:
1. undiminished, integral, complete. 5. unimpaired, perfect. 8. totality, aggregate. Whole, total mean the entire or complete sum or amount. The whole is all there is; every part, member, aspect; the complete sum, amount, quantity of anything, not divided; the entirety: the whole of one's property, family. Total also means whole, complete amount, or number, but conveys the idea of something added together or added up: The total of their gains amounted to millions.

Antonyms:
1. partial. 8. part.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To whole

whole (hōl)

adj.

Containing all components; complete: a whole wardrobe for the tropics.
Not divided or disjoined; in one unit: a whole loaf.
Constituting the full amount, extent, or duration: The baby cried the whole trip home.
1. Not wounded, injured, or impaired; sound or unhurt: Many escaped the fire frightened but whole.
2. Having been restored; healed: After the treatment he felt whole.
Having the same parents: a whole sister.

A number, group, set, or thing lacking no part or element; a complete thing.
An entity or system made up of interrelated parts: The value of the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.

adv. Informal
Entirely; wholly: a whole new idea.

[Middle English hole, unharmed, from Old English hāl; see kailo- in Indo-European roots.]
whole'ness n.

Synonyms: These adjectives mean including every constituent or individual: a whole town devastated by an earthquake; all the class going on a field trip; entire shipments lost by the distributor; gross income; the total cost.
Antonym: partial

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Whole

Whole\, a. [OE. hole, hol, hal, hool, AS. h[=a]l well, sound, healthy; akin to OFries. & OS. h?l, D. heel, G. heil, Icel. heill, Sw. hel whole, Dan. heel, Goth. hails well, sound, OIr. c?l augury. Cf. Hale, Hail to greet, Heal to cure, Health, Holy.]

1. Containing the total amount, number, etc.; comprising all the parts; free from deficiency; all; total; entire; as, the whole earth; the whole solar system; the whole army; the whole nation. "On their whole host I flew unarmed." --Milton.

The whole race of mankind. --Shak.

2. Complete; entire; not defective or imperfect; not broken or fractured; unimpaired; uninjured; integral; as, a whole orange; the egg is whole; the vessel is whole.

My life is yet whole in me. --2 Sam. i. 9.

3. Possessing, or being in a state of, heath and soundness; healthy; sound; well.

[She] findeth there her friends hole and sound. --Chaucer.

They that be whole need not a physician. --Matt. ix. 12.

When Sir Lancelot's deadly hurt was whole. --Tennyson.

Whole blood. (Law of Descent) See under Blood, n., 2.

Whole note (Mus.), the note which represents a note of longest duration in common use; a semibreve.

Whole number (Math.), a number which is not a fraction or mixed number; an integer.

Whole snipe (Zo["o]l.), the common snipe, as distinguished from the smaller jacksnipe. [Prov. Eng.]

Syn: All; total; complete; entire; integral; undivided; uninjured; unimpaired; unbroken; healthy.

Usage: Whole, Total, Entire, Complete. When we use the word whole, we refer to a thing as made up of parts, none of which are wanting; as, a whole week; a whole year; the whole creation. When we use the word total, we have reference to all as taken together, and forming a single totality; as, the total amount; the total income. When we speak of a thing as entire, we have no reference to parts at all, but regard the thing as an integer, i. e., continuous or unbroken; as, an entire year; entire prosperity. When we speak of a thing as complete, there is reference to some progress which results in a filling out to some end or object, or a perfected state with no deficiency; as, complete success; a complete victory.

All the whole army stood agazed on him. --Shak.

One entire and perfect chrysolite. --Shak.

Lest total darkness should by night regain Her old possession, and extinguish life. --Milton.

So absolute she seems, And in herself complete. --Milton.

Whole

Whole\, n. 1. The entire thing; the entire assemblage of parts; totality; all of a thing, without defect or exception; a thing complete in itself.

"This not the whole of life to live, Nor all of death to die. --J. Montgomery.

2. A regular combination of parts; a system.

Parts answering parts shall slide into a whole. --Pope.

Committee of the whole. See under Committee.

Upon the whole, considering all things; taking everything into account; in view of all the circumstances or conditions.

Syn: Totality; total; amount; aggregate; gross.

Language Translation for : whole

Spanish: entero, íntegro, todo,

German: ganz,

Japanese: 全体の

More Translations »

whole

O.E. hal "entire, unhurt, healthy," from P.Gmc. *khailaz "undamaged" (cf. O.S. hel, O.N. heill, O.Fris. hal, M.Du. hiel, Du. heel, O.H.G., Ger. heil "salvation, welfare"), from PIE *koilas (cf. O.S.C. celu "whole, complete;" see health). The spelling with wh- developed c.1420. Whole-hearted is first recorded 1840. For phrase whole hog, see hog.

Main Entry: whole
Pronunciation: 'hOl
Function: adjective
: containing all its natural constituents, components, or elements : deprived of nothingby refining, processing, or separation <whole milk>

whole (hōl)
adj.

Not wounded, injured, or impaired; sound or unhurt.
Having been restored; healed.

n.
An entity or a system made up of interrelated parts.

whole

In addition to the idioms beginning with whole, also see as a whole; go whole hog; on the whole; out of whole cloth.

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