Definitions for whole
hoʊlwhole

Princeton's WordNet(2.50 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. wholenoun

   all of something including all its component elements or parts

   "Europe considered as a whole"; "the whole of American literature"

2. whole, unitadjective

   an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity

   "how big is that part compared to the whole?"; "the team is a unit"

3. wholeadjective

   including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

   "gave his whole attention"; "a whole wardrobe for the tropics"; "the whole hog"; "a whole week"; "the baby cried the whole trip home"; "a whole loaf of bread"

4. wholeadjective

   (of siblings) having the same parents

   "whole brothers and sisters"

5. unharmed, unhurt, unscathed, wholeadjective

   not injured

6. hale, wholeadjective

   exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health

   "hale and hearty"; "whole in mind and body"; "a whole person again"

7. solid, unanimous, wholeadverb

   acting together as a single undiversified whole

   "a solid voting bloc"

8. wholly, entirely, completely, totally, all, altogether, wholeadverb

   to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (`whole' is often used informally for `wholly')

   "he was wholly convinced"; "entirely satisfied with the meal"; "it was completely different from what we expected"; "was completely at fault"; "a totally new situation"; "the directions were all wrong"; "it was not altogether her fault"; "an altogether new approach"; "a whole new idea"

Wiktionary(3.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. wholenoun

   Something complete, without any parts missing.

   Etymology: From hool, from hal, from hailaz (compare Low German heel/heil, Dutch heel, German heil, Danish hel), from kóhₐilus, coel 'omen', Breton kel 'omen, mention', Old Prussian kails 'healthy', Albanian gjallë 'alive, unhurt', Old Church Slavonic cĕlŭ 'healthy, unhurt', Ancient Greek koîlu 'good'). Related to hale, health, and heal.

2. wholenoun

   An entirety.

   Etymology: From hool, from hal, from hailaz (compare Low German heel/heil, Dutch heel, German heil, Danish hel), from kóhₐilus, coel 'omen', Breton kel 'omen, mention', Old Prussian kails 'healthy', Albanian gjallë 'alive, unhurt', Old Church Slavonic cĕlŭ 'healthy, unhurt', Ancient Greek koîlu 'good'). Related to hale, health, and heal.

3. wholeadverb

   in entirety; entirely; wholly

   I ate a fish whole!

   Etymology: From hool, from hal, from hailaz (compare Low German heel/heil, Dutch heel, German heil, Danish hel), from kóhₐilus, coel 'omen', Breton kel 'omen, mention', Old Prussian kails 'healthy', Albanian gjallë 'alive, unhurt', Old Church Slavonic cĕlŭ 'healthy, unhurt', Ancient Greek koîlu 'good'). Related to hale, health, and heal.

4. wholeadjective

   entire.

   I ate a whole fish.

   Etymology: From hool, from hal, from hailaz (compare Low German heel/heil, Dutch heel, German heil, Danish hel), from kóhₐilus, coel 'omen', Breton kel 'omen, mention', Old Prussian kails 'healthy', Albanian gjallë 'alive, unhurt', Old Church Slavonic cĕlŭ 'healthy, unhurt', Ancient Greek koîlu 'good'). Related to hale, health, and heal.

5. wholeadjective

   sound, uninjured, healthy.

   He is of whole mind, but the same cannot be said about his physical state.

   Etymology: From hool, from hal, from hailaz (compare Low German heel/heil, Dutch heel, German heil, Danish hel), from kóhₐilus, coel 'omen', Breton kel 'omen, mention', Old Prussian kails 'healthy', Albanian gjallë 'alive, unhurt', Old Church Slavonic cĕlŭ 'healthy, unhurt', Ancient Greek koîlu 'good'). Related to hale, health, and heal.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Wholeadjective

   containing the total amount, number, etc.; comprising all the parts; free from deficiency; all; total; entire; as, the whole earth; the whole solar system; the whole army; the whole nation

2. Wholeadjective

   complete; entire; not defective or imperfect; not broken or fractured; unimpaired; uninjured; integral; as, a whole orange; the egg is whole; the vessel is whole

3. Wholeadjective

   possessing, or being in a state of, heath and soundness; healthy; sound; well

4. Wholenoun

   the entire thing; the entire assemblage of parts; totality; all of a thing, without defect or exception; a thing complete in itself

5. Wholenoun

   a regular combination of parts; a system

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Whole

   hōl, adj. sound, as in health (so in B.): unimpaired: containing the total amount, number, &c.: all: not defective: complete: in mining, as yet unworked.—n. the entire thing: a system or combination of parts.—adv. wholly.—adjs. Whole′-col′oured, all of one colour; Whole′-foot′ed (coll.) unreserved; Whole′-heart′ed, -souled, noble: hearty, generous; Whole′-hoofed, having undivided hoof; Whole′-length, giving the whole figure, as a portrait: full-length.—n. a portrait or statue giving the whole figure.—ns. Whole′ness; Whole′sāle, sale of goods by the whole piece or large quantity.—adj. buying and selling in large quantities: extensive.—n. Whole′sāler, one who sells by wholesale.—adjs. Whole′-skinned, having an unbroken skin: unhurt: safe in reputation; Whole′some, healthy: sound: salutary: (Shak.) prosperous.—adv. Whole′somely.—ns. Whole′someness; Whole′-stitch, a lace-making stitch used in filling.—adv. Wholly (hō′li), completely, altogether.—n. Wholth, wholeness, soundness.—Whole number, a unit, or a number composed of units, an integral number.—Upon, On, the whole, generally speaking, to sum up.—With whole skin, safe, unscathed. [A.S. hál, healthy; Ice. heill, Ger. heil. By-form hale (1).]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. whole

   Having the complete element or facet.

   The whole business is represented at the management meeting and it is so clear teamwork and unity makes the plan work.

   Submitted by MaryC on February 9, 2020  

Matched Categories

1. • Concept

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'whole' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #447

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'whole' in Written Corpus Frequency: #377

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'whole' in Nouns Frequency: #500

4. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'whole' in Adjectives Frequency: #47

How to pronounce whole?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say whole in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of whole in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of whole in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of whole in a Sentence

1. Melissa Taveras:

   The 100-mile rule pertains to the whole state of Florida and two-thirds of the country, but an individual that’s approached by an agent has every right to remain silent and not comply.

2. Alex Livesey/Getty Images:

   It's been a really stressful Olympic Games as a whole; not having an audience — there are a lot of different variables going into it [the Games], it's been a long week; it's been a long Olympic process/year. I think we're a little bit too stressed out. We should be out here having fun, and sometimes that's not the case.

3. Miles Kupa:

   The law is very clear that in the case of heroin, if you're carrying more than 15 grams, the death penalty is mandatory, so there was something very sadly automatic about the way the whole matter proceeded.

4. Theodore Roosevelt:

   A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.

5. Gunnar Olsen:

   Dunlin will shut five years before plan, which will mean all the other fields going into Sullom Voe (oil terminal) will have increased operating costs, the domino effect is now a significant challenge. If some of these fields are shut in, it will affect the whole basin.

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