whole Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun all of something including all its component elements or parts
    • Europe considered as a whole
    • the whole of American literature
  2. noun an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity
    unit.
    • how big is that part compared to the whole?
    • the team is a unit
  3. adjective including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
    • gave his whole attention
    • a whole wardrobe for the tropics
    • the whole hog
    • a whole week
    • the baby cried the whole trip home
    • a whole loaf of bread
  4. adjective (of siblings) having the same parents
    • whole brothers and sisters
  5. adjective satellite not injured
    unharmed; unhurt; unscathed.
  6. adjective satellite exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health
    hale.
    • hale and hearty
    • whole in mind and body
    • a whole person again
  7. adjective satellite acting together as a single undiversified whole
    solid; unanimous.
    • a solid voting bloc
  8. adverb to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (`whole' is often used informally for `wholly')
    all; wholly; completely; altogether; entirely; totally.
    • he was wholly convinced
    • entirely satisfied with the meal
    • it was completely different from what we expected
    • was completely at fault
    • a totally new situation
    • the directions were all wrong
    • it was not altogether her fault
    • an altogether new approach
    • a whole new idea

WordNet

Whole adjective
Etymology
OE. hole, hol, hal, hool, AS. hal well, sound, healthy; akin to OFries. & OS. hl, D. heel, G. heil, Icel. heill, Sw. hel whole, Dan. heel, Goth. hails well, sound, OIr. cl augury. Cf. Hale, Hail to greet, Heal to cure, Health, Holy.
Definitions
  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.
    Syn. -- All; total; complete; entire; integral; undivided; uninjured; unimpaired; unbroken; healthy. -- 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 noun
Definitions
  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.
    Syn. -- Totality; total; amount; aggregate; gross.

Webster 1913