I. ˈhōˌlizəm noun
( -s )
Etymology: hol- + -ism
1. : the philosophic theory first formulated by Jan C. Smuts that the determining factors in nature are wholes (as organisms) which are irreducible to the sum of their parts and that the evolution of the universe is the record of the activity and making of these wholes
2. : a theory or doctrine according to which a whole cannot be analyzed without residue into the sum of its parts or reduced to discrete elements — compare gestalt psychology , organicism
II. noun
: a holistic study or method of treatment