whole

[hohl] /hoʊl/
adjective
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.
Mathematics. 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, especially one's physical, intellectual, and spiritual development:
education for the whole person.
noun
8.
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.
9.
a thing complete in itself, or comprising all its parts or elements.
10.
an assemblage of parts associated or viewed together as one thing; a unitary system.
Idioms
11.
as a whole, all things included or considered; altogether:
As a whole, the relocation seems to have been beneficial.
12.
on / upon the whole,
  1. in view of all the circumstances; after consideration.
  2. disregarding exceptions; in general:
    On the whole, the neighborhood is improving.
13.
out of whole cloth, without foundation in fact; fictitious:
a story made out of whole cloth.
Origin
before 900; Middle English hole, hool (adj. and noun), Old English hāl (adj.); cognate with Dutch heel, German heil, Old Norse heill; see hale1, heal; spelling with w reflects dial. form
Related forms
wholeness, noun
self-whole, adjective
Can be confused
hole, whole (see synonym study at hole; see synonym study at the current entry)
Synonyms
1. undiminished, integral, complete. 5. unimpaired, perfect. 8. 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.
Antonyms
1. partial. 8. part.
British Dictionary definitions for on the whole

whole

/həʊl/
adjective
1.
containing all the component parts necessary to form a total; complete: a whole apple
2.
constituting the full quantity, extent, etc
3.
uninjured or undamaged
4.
healthy
5.
having no fractional or decimal part; integral: a whole number
6.
of, relating to, or designating a relationship established by descent from the same parents; full: whole brothers
7.
(US & Canadian, informal) out of whole cloth, entirely without a factual basis
adverb
8.
in an undivided or unbroken piece: to swallow a plum whole
noun
9.
all the parts, elements, etc, of a thing
10.
an assemblage of parts viewed together as a unit
11.
a thing complete in itself
12.
as a whole, considered altogether; completely
13.
on the whole
  1. taking all things into consideration
  2. in general
Derived Forms
wholeness, noun
Word Origin
Old English hāl, hǣl; related to Old Frisian hāl, hēl, Old High German heil, Gothic hails; compare hale1
Word Origin and History for on the whole

whole

adj.

Old English hal "entire, unhurt, healthy," from Proto-Germanic *khailaz "undamaged" (cf. Old Saxon hel, Old Norse heill, Old Frisian hal, Middle Dutch hiel, Dutch heel, Old High German, German heil "salvation, welfare"), from PIE *koilas (cf. Old Church Slavonic celu "whole, complete;" see health). The spelling with wh- developed early 15c. The sense in whole number is from early 14c. For phrase whole hog, see hog.

n.

"entire body or company; the full amount," late 14c., from whole (adj.).

on the whole in Medicine

whole (hōl)
adj.

  1. Not wounded, injured, or impaired; sound or unhurt.

  2. Having been restored; healed.

n.
An entity or a system made up of interrelated parts.
Idioms and Phrases with on the whole

on the whole

Considering everything, as in On the whole we enjoyed our vacation, although the hotel was not perfect by any means. [ Late 1600s ]
Also see: the synonyms for the most part

whole

also see: