— wholeness , n.
/hohl/ , adj.
1. comprising the full quantity, amount, extent, number, etc., without diminution or exception; entire, full, or total: He ate the whole pie. They ran the whole distance.
2. containing all the elements properly belonging; complete: We have a whole set of antique china.
3. undivided; in one piece: to swallow a thing whole.
4. Math. integral, or not fractional.
5. not broken, damaged, or impaired; intact: Thankfully, the vase arrived whole.
6. uninjured or unharmed; sound: He was surprised to find himself whole after the crash.
7. pertaining to all aspects of human nature, esp. one's physical, intellectual, and spiritual development: education for the whole person.
8. out of whole cloth , without foundation in fact; fictitious: a story made out of whole cloth.
n.
9. the whole assemblage of parts or elements belonging to a thing; the entire quantity, account, extent, or number: He accepted some of the parts but rejected the whole.
10. a thing complete in itself, or comprising all its parts or elements.
11. an assemblage of parts associated or viewed together as one thing; a unitary system.
12. as a whole , all things included or considered; altogether: As a whole, the relocation seems to have been beneficial.
13. on or upon the whole ,
a. in view of all the circumstances; after consideration.
b. disregarding exceptions; in general: On the whole, the neighborhood is improving.
[ bef. 900; ME hole, hool (adj. and n.), OE hal (adj.); c. D heel, G heil, ON heill; see HALE 1 , HEAL; sp. with w reflects dial. form ]
Syn. 1. undiminished, integral, complete. 5. unimpaired, perfect. 9. totality, aggregate. WHOLE, TOTAL mean the entire or complete sum or amount. The WHOLE is all there is; every part, member, aspect; the complete sum, amount, quantity of anything, not divided; the entirety: the whole of one's property, family. TOTAL also means whole, complete amount, or number, but conveys the idea of something added together or added up: The total of their gains amounted to millions.
Ant. 1. partial. 9. part.