Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Complete; including all parts or elements: Refers to something that is not divided, lacking, or broken; the full amount or extent.
   • Not injured or damaged; in sound condition: Describes a state of being undamaged, healthy, or intact.
   • Undivided; acting as a single unit: Used to describe a group or collection functioning or considered together as one.

2. Adverb:

   • Completely; entirely: Used informally to emphasize the totality or completeness of an action or state.

3. Noun:

   • A thing that is complete in itself: Refers to an assemblage of parts regarded as a single entity.
   • All of something; the full amount, extent, or duration: Refers to the entirety of a thing, including all its components.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • She spent her whole life studying art. (She spent her entire, complete life studying art.)
  • After the accident, we were relieved to find the vase was still whole. (The vase was not broken or damaged.)
  • The community acted as a whole to support the family. (The community acted together as a single, undivided group.)

• Adverb (informal):

  • That is a whole different problem. (That is a completely or entirely different problem.)

• Noun:

  • A good leader considers the whole, not just the parts. (A good leader considers the complete system or entity.)
  • He ate the whole of the cake by himself. (He ate all of the cake, every part of it.)

Advanced Usage

• "the whole of": Used before a noun to emphasize the entirety of something.

  • The storm affected the whole of the coastline. (The entire coastline was affected.)

• "as a whole": Considered in its entirety; generally.

  • We must evaluate the project as a whole. (We must evaluate the complete, overall project.)

• "on the whole": Considering everything; in general.

  • On the whole, the conference was a success. (Generally speaking, the conference was successful.)

Variants and Related Words

• Wholly (adv): Completely; entirely. (Formal equivalent of the adverbial use of 'whole').

  • I wholly agree with your assessment.

• Wholeness (n): The state of being unbroken or undamaged; completeness.

  • The therapy aimed to restore a sense of wholeness.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Entire, complete, total, intact, undivided, full.
• Noun: Totality, entirety, sum, aggregate, unit.

Antonyms

• Adjective/Noun: Partial, incomplete, part, fraction, piece.

Related Idioms

• Go the whole hog: To do something completely or thoroughly.

  • If we're renovating the kitchen, we might as well go the whole hog and replace the appliances too.

• (Out) in one piece / with a whole skin: Safe and unharmed, especially after danger.

  • It was a risky climb, but everyone came back in one piece.

• The whole nine yards: Everything possible or available; the full extent.

  • For the wedding, they did the whole nine yards—a huge cake, a band, and hundreds of guests.

Adjective

1. acting together as a single undiversified whole
   • a solid voting bloc
2. exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health
   • hale and hearty
   • whole in mind and body
   • a whole person again
3. not injured
4. (of siblings) having the same parents
   • whole brothers and sisters
5. 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

Adverb

1. 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

Noun

1. 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
2. all of something including all its component elements or parts
   • Europe considered as a whole
   • the whole of American literature