WHOLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does whole mean? 

• WHOLE (noun)
  The noun WHOLE has 2 senses:

1. all of something including all its component elements or parts

2. an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity

  Familiarity information: WHOLE used as a noun is rare.

• WHOLE (adjective)
  The adjective WHOLE has 5 senses:

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

2. (of siblings) having the same parents

3. not injured or harmed

4. exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health

5. acting together as a single undiversified whole

  Familiarity information: WHOLE used as an adjective is common.

• WHOLE (adverb)
  The adverb WHOLE has 1 sense:

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

  Familiarity information: WHOLE used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WHOLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

All of something including all its component elements or parts

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Context example:

the whole of American literature

Hypernyms ("whole" is a kind of...):

concept; conception; construct (an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances)

Meronyms (parts of "whole"):

division; part; section (one of the portions into which something is regarded as divided and which together constitute a whole)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "whole"):

unit (a single undivided whole)

compound (a whole formed by a union of two or more elements or parts)

complex; composite (a conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts)

Derivation:

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

Sense 2

Meaning:

An assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity

Classified under:

Nouns with no superordinates

Synonyms:

unit; whole

Context example:

the team is a unit

Hypernyms ("whole" is a kind of...):

object; physical object (a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow)

Meronyms (parts of "whole"):

part; portion (something less than the whole of a human artifact)

section; segment (one of several parts or pieces that fit with others to constitute a whole object)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "whole"):

congener (a whole (a thing or person) of the same kind or category as another)

animate thing; living thing (a living (or once living) entity)

natural object (an object occurring naturally; not made by man)

artefact; artifact (a man-made object taken as a whole)

assembly (a unit consisting of components that have been fitted together)

item (a whole individual unit; especially when included in a list or collection)

aggregate; sum; total; totality (the whole amount)

Derivation:

whole (acting together as a single undiversified whole)

• WHOLE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Context example:

a whole loaf of bread

Similar:

entire; full; total (constituting the full quantity or extent; complete)

full-length (representing or accommodating the entire length)

full-page (occupying an entire page in a book or paper)

entire; intact; integral (constituting the undiminished entirety; lacking nothing essential especially not damaged)

livelong ((of time) constituting the full extent or duration)

undivided (not separated into parts or shares; constituting an undivided unit)

Also:

complete (having every necessary or normal part or component or step)

Attribute:

integrity; unity; wholeness (an undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting)

Antonym:

fractional (constituting or comprising a part or fraction of a possible whole or entirety)

Derivation:

whole (all of something including all its component elements or parts)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(of siblings) having the same parents

Context example:

whole brothers and sisters

Antonym:

half ((of siblings) related through one parent only)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Not injured or harmed

Synonyms:

unharmed; unhurt; unscathed; whole

Similar:

uninjured (not injured physically or mentally)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health

Synonyms:

hale; whole

Context example:

a whole person again

Similar:

healthy (having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease)

Derivation:

wholeness (a state of robust good health)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Acting together as a single undiversified whole

Synonyms:

solid; unanimous; whole

Context example:

a solid voting bloc

Similar:

undiversified (not diversified)

Derivation:

whole (an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity)

wholeness (an undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting)

• WHOLE (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Synonyms:

all; altogether; completely; entirely; right; totally; whole; wholly

Context example:

he fell right into the trap

 Context examples 

And upon the whole, it would certainly have gone off wonderfully.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

And then suddenly the whole business came to an end.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Something added to extend a whole and to make an addition.

(Accessory, NCI Thesaurus)

An allogeneic whole cell vaccine, derived from irradiated allogenic tumor cells manipulated to express human B7.1 (CD80 antigen) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) A1, with potential antitumor activity.

(Allogeneic B7.1/HLA-A1 Transfected Tumor Cell Vaccine, NCI Thesaurus)

I was puzzled. The whole thing was so unlike the Wolf Larsen I had known.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

For clinical purposes this term is also used to refer to the whole superior limb.

(Arm, NCI Thesaurus)

You need not be ashamed to expose your ignorance, for I don't suppose the whole South Kensington staff could give a name to it.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

My future husband was becoming to me my whole world; and more than the world: almost my hope of heaven.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

However, many questions concerning the brain as a collective whole need to be answered.

(Neuromorphic Metallic Nanowire Network Shows Human Brain-Like Functions, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

By comparison, it took Earth as a whole 137 years to warm by nearly the same amount, 0.8 degrees Celsius.

(Warming at the poles will have global consequences, National Science Foundation)