adjective

whole

whole, entire, complete

He ate the whole cake.

He ate the whole cake.

The whole family went on holiday.

The whole family went on holiday.

Two halves make a whole.

Two halves make a whole.

((the whole + noun)) the entire (noun) I read the whole book in one day.

((as a whole)) as a single unit or group The team, as a whole, played well.

entire, complete, total; Antonyms: part, partial

From Old English 'hāl', meaning 'healthy, uninjured, whole'. It is related to 'heal' and 'health'.

The 'w' is silent, so it sounds like 'hole'. Imagine filling a 'hole' to make something 'whole' or complete.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.