I. ˈhōl adjective
Etymology: Middle English hool healthy, unhurt, entire, from Old English hāl; akin to Old High German heil healthy, unhurt, Old Norse heill, Old Church Slavic cělŭ
Date: before 12th century
1.
a.
(1) : free of wound or injury : unhurt
(2) : recovered from a wound or injury : restored
(3) : being healed
whole 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
whole milk
a whole egg
3.
a. : constituting the total sum or undiminished entirety : entire
owns the whole island
b. : each or all of the
took part in the whole series of athletic events
4.
a. : constituting an undivided unit : unbroken , uncut
a whole roast suckling pig
b. : directed to one end : concentrated
promised to give it his whole attention
5.
a. : seemingly complete or total
the whole idea is to help, not hinder
b. : very great in quantity, extent, or scope
feels a whole lot better now
6. : constituting the entirety of a person's nature or development
educate the whole student
7. : having the same father and mother
whole brother
Synonyms: see perfect
• whole·ness noun
Synonyms:
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
II. noun
Date: 14th century
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
- on the whole
III. adverb
Date: 14th century
1. : wholly , entirely
a whole new age group — Henry Chauncey
2. : as a complete entity