[whole] adj [ME hool healthy, unhurt, entire, fr. OE hal; akin to OHG heil healthy, unhurt, ON heill, OCS celu] (bef. 12c) 1 a (1): free of wound or injury: unhurt (2): recovered from a wound or injury: restored (3): being healed "~ of an ancient evil, I sleep sound --A. E. Housman" b: free of defect or impairment: intact c: physically sound and healthy: free of disease or deformity d: mentally or emotionally sound
2: having all its proper parts or components: complete, unmodified "~ milk" "a ~ egg" 3 a: constituting the total sum or undiminished entirety: entire "owns the ~ island" b: each or all of the "took part in the ~ series of athletic events"
4. a: constituting an undivided unit: unbroken, uncut "a ~ roast suckling pig" b: directed to one end: concentrated "promised to give it his ~ attention"
5. a: seemingly complete or total "the ~ idea is to help, not hinder" b: very great in quantity, extent, or scope "feels a ~ lot better now"
6: constituting the entirety of a person's nature or development "educate the ~ student" 7: having the same father and mother "~ brother" syn see perfect -- whole.ness n syn whole, entire, total, all mean including everything or everyone without exception. whole implies that nothing has been omitted, ignored, abated, or taken away "read the whole book". entire may suggest a state of completeness or perfection to which nothing can be added "the entire population was wiped out". total implies that everything has been counted, weighed, measured, or considered "the total number of people present". all may equal whole, entire, or total "all proceeds go to charity".
[2]whole n (14c) 1: a complete amount or sum: a number, aggregate, or totality lacking no part, member, or element
2: something constituting a complex unity: a coherent system or organization of parts fitting or working together as one -- in whole : to the full or entire extent: wholly--usu. used in the phrase in whole or in part -- on the whole 1: in view of all the circumstances or conditions: all things considered
2: in general: in most instances: typically [3]whole adv (14c) 1: wholly, entirely "a ~ new age group --Henry Chauncey"
2: as a complete entity