1
b
: free of defect or impairment : intact
c
: physically sound and healthy : free of disease or deformity
d
: mentally or emotionally sound
2
: having all its proper parts or components : complete, unmodified
whole milk
a whole egg
3
a
: constituting the total sum or undiminished entirety : entire
owns the whole island
b
: each or all of the
took part in the whole series of athletic events
4
b
: directed to one end : concentrated
your whole attention
5
a
: seemingly complete or total
the whole idea is to help, not hinder
b
: very great in quantity, extent, or scope
feels a whole lot better now
6
: constituting the entirety of a person's nature or development
educate the whole student
7
: having the same father and mother
whole brother
wholeness
noun
1
: a complete amount or sum : a number, aggregate, or totality lacking no part, member, or element
2
: something constituting a complex unity : a coherent system or organization of parts fitting or working together as one
Synonyms
Examples of whole in a Sentence
Adjective
The doctor assured me that the whole procedure would only take a few minutes.
The whole place was remodeled. It looks great now.
It's been a whole week since I've seen him.
I spent the whole summer traveling through Europe.
The whole evening was a great success.
She read the whole book in one day.
I've been waiting my whole life for this.
We decided to forget the whole thing.
We cooked a whole chicken.
The community center offers a whole range of programs.
Noun
the landlord eventually refunded the whole of our deposit
Adverb
We cooked the chicken whole.
The frog swallowed the fly whole.
Recent Examples on the Web
David Pierce, WIRED, 23 Nov. 2024
The second edition of Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix Saturday night is proving parent Liberty Media’s bet that the addition of the race would elevate the whole circuit’s business.
—Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 23 Nov. 2024
Abby Wilson, theweek, 8 Nov. 2024
Drifting further from land as a whale swallows the sun whole.
—Amanda Peukert, SPIN, 1 Nov. 2024
Jay N. Yepuri, Verywell Health, 21 Oct. 2024
Elton John Recalls Doing 'Mountains of Cocaine' with John Lennon, Was the 'Catalyst' for Yoko Ono Reconciliation
In a voiceover, the 77-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer describes the worst of times when addiction nearly swallowed him up whole.
—Jeremy Helligar, People.com, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whole 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Also, merino wool—the material these marvels are most commonly spun from—is naturally resistant to odors and will stay wearable your whole trip.
—David Pierce, WIRED, 23 Nov. 2024
The second edition of Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix Saturday night is proving parent Liberty Media’s bet that the addition of the race would elevate the whole circuit’s business.
—Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 23 Nov. 2024
Noun
If people, including scientists, are not able to discern whether information is human- or AI-generated, the implications on health, climate research and science on the whole could be sweeping.
—Abby Wilson, theweek, 8 Nov. 2024
Drifting further from land as a whale swallows the sun whole.
—Amanda Peukert, SPIN, 1 Nov. 2024
Adverb
The stone may come out whole or in fragments.3
When Is Pain Not a Kidney Stone?
Kidney stone pain can mimic other conditions and may require investigation by a urologist to rule out other potentially serious causes.
—Jay N. Yepuri, Verywell Health, 21 Oct. 2024
Elton John Recalls Doing 'Mountains of Cocaine' with John Lennon, Was the 'Catalyst' for Yoko Ono Reconciliation
In a voiceover, the 77-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer describes the worst of times when addiction nearly swallowed him up whole.
—Jeremy Helligar, People.com, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whole
Dictionary Entries Near whole
Cite this Entry
“Whole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whole. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whole
1 of 2 adjective1
: being in healthy or sound condition : free from sickness or injury : well
your care made me whole again
2
a
: having all its proper parts or elements : complete
whole grain
whole milk
b
: not cut up or in pieces
a whole roast chicken
3
: not divided or scattered
your whole attention
4
: being the total or full amount or extent of something
owns the whole island
5
: each or all of the
the whole 10 days
whole
2 of 2 noun1
: a complete amount or sum
2
: something whole or entire
the whole of an apple
Medical Definition
whole
adjective
: containing all its natural constituents, components, or elements : deprived of nothing by refining, processing, or separation
whole milk
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