wholesome Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective conducive to or characteristic of physical or moral well-being
    • wholesome attitude
    • wholesome appearance
    • wholesome food
  2. adjective satellite sound or exhibiting soundness in body or mind
    • exercise develops wholesome appetites
    • a grin on his ugly wholesome face

WordNet

Whole"some adjective
Etymology
Whole + some; cf. Icel. heilsamr, G. heilsam, D. heilzaam.
Wordforms
comparative Wholesomer ; superlative Wholesomest
Definitions
  1. Tending to promote health; favoring health; salubrious; salutary.
    Wholesome thirst and appetite. Milton.
    From which the industrious poor derive an agreeable and wholesome variety of food. A Smith.
  2. Contributing to the health of the mind; favorable to morals, religion, or prosperity; conducive to good; salutary; sound; as, wholesome advice; wholesome doctrines; wholesome truths; wholesome laws.
    A wholesome tongue is a tree of life. Prov. xv. 4.
    I can not . . . make you a wholesome answer; my wit's diseased. Shak.
    A wholesome suspicion began to be entertained. Sir W. Scott.
  3. Sound; healthy. Obs. Shak. -- Whole"some*ly, adv. -- Whole"some*ness, n.

Webster 1913