Meaning & Definition of Whole in English

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

• "Europe considered as a whole"

• "The whole of american literature"

2. 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"

1. 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"

2. (of siblings) having the same parents

• "Whole brothers and sisters"

3. Not injured

4. Exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health

• "Hale and hearty"

• "Whole in mind and body"

• "A whole person again"

5. Acting together as a single undiversified whole

• "A solid voting bloc"

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"