whole
whole — adjective
1. Containing all its parts, with nothing taken away, divided, or missing — for exa
Containing all its parts, with nothing taken away, divided, or missing — for example, eating a whole cake, reading a whole book, or a whole family.
Noa ate the whole cake by herself before anyone else could have a slice.
whole + noun for complete amount
Did you read the whole book or just the first two chapters?
The whole family gathered at Lakan's house for the holiday dinner.
whole + collective noun (family)
A whole chicken went into the pot for the soup.
Manuela spent the whole morning cleaning her room from top to bottom.
whole + time period (morning/day/week)
- whole cake
- whole book
- whole family
- whole morning
- whole world
- partial
Referring to only part of something rather than the entire thing.
- incomplete
Missing some parts or elements.
Grammar Patterns
whole + noun
the + noun + is whole
Usage Note
Typically used with a determiner such as 'the', 'my', or 'a' before it. 'The whole cake' means all of one cake, while 'all the cake' could mean pieces from different cakes.
Common Mistakes
2. Used before a noun to stress that the amount, size, degree, or importance of som
Used before a noun to stress that the amount, size, degree, or importance of something is very large — for example, a whole lot of trouble, a whole month, or a whole new way of doing things.
We had a whole lot of trouble finding a parking spot near the stadium.
a whole lot of + noun (large quantity)
Hugo spent a whole month travelling through Southeast Asia after graduation.
There were a whole bunch of people waiting outside the theater before the show.
a whole bunch of + plural noun
Yan felt a whole lot better after drinking a cup of hot tea.
I have a whole list of errands to run before the weekend.
a whole + noun phrase for emphasis
- a whole lot of
- a whole bunch of
- a whole new
- a whole list of
- a whole month
Grammar Patterns
a whole + [adjective] + noun
a whole lot of + noun
a whole + [number] + noun
Usage Note
Only used before a noun (attributive position). You cannot say '*The trouble was whole' in this sense. Common in informal and conversational English with phrases like 'a whole lot', 'a whole bunch', 'a whole new...'.
Common Mistakes
3. Physically healthy, not hurt, injured, or damaged — for example, walking away fr
Physically healthy, not hurt, injured, or damaged — for example, walking away from a crash unharmed and whole, or recovering from an illness to be whole again.
After the car accident, Christopher walked away whole and completely unharmed.
predicative use: walked away + whole
Tara's doctors said it would take months, but she is whole again now.
Zayd survived the fall with barely a scratch and came back whole.
predicative: came back whole
Tanvi wants to be healthy and whole before the marathon next spring.
- emerge whole
- walk away whole
- come back whole
- remain whole
- safe and whole
Grammar Patterns
be whole
come back whole
remain whole
emerge whole
Usage Note
Most common in predicative position after verbs like 'be', 'emerge', 'walk away', 'come back'. Attributive use ('a whole person') is rare and could be confused with the ENTIRE sense (adj/1).
Common Mistakes
4. Describes a brother or sister who shares both biological parents with another si
Describes a brother or sister who shares both biological parents with another sibling, as opposed to a half-sibling who shares only one parent.
Hugo and his sister are whole siblings, not half-siblings from a previous marriage.
whole sibling contrasts with half-sibling
Yan adopted a child but also has three whole children of her own.
In many legal systems, whole siblings have different inheritance rights than half-siblings.
whole + sibling in formal/legal context
Noa and her brother are whole siblings because they share both parents.
- whole brother
- whole sister
- whole sibling
- full sibling
The more modern, formal alternative; 'full brother' and 'full sister' are more common than 'whole brother/sister'.
- half-sibling
A brother or sister who shares only one biological parent.
Grammar Patterns
whole + brother
whole + sister
whole + sibling
Usage Note
Almost always appears before a family-relation noun ('brother', 'sister', 'sibling'). Less common in everyday conversation; people often just say 'brother' and clarify 'same parents' if needed.
Common Mistakes
a whole lot
idiomUsed to mean very much or a large amount.
After the medicine, I felt a whole lot better.
Does she like the gift a whole lot?
A large number or amount of something.
There were a whole lot of people at the concert.
He spent a whole lot of money on that car.
the whole lot
idiomEvery part or item of something; everything.
She ate the whole lot of cookies by herself.
Did you sell the whole lot of tickets?
a whole 'nother…
idiomA completely different thing or matter.
That problem is a whole 'nother issue entirely.
Learning to drive is a whole 'nother challenge.
whole — adverb
1. In a way that keeps something as a single unit, without cutting, breaking, divid
In a way that keeps something as a single unit, without cutting, breaking, dividing, or separating it into smaller parts.
Manuela was so hungry she ate the apple whole, including the core.
eat + noun + whole (postpositive adverb)
The python swallowed the rat whole in a single gulp.
The artist decided to sell the collection whole rather than piece by piece.
sell + collection + whole
Some small fish can be cooked whole without being gutted or cut.
passive: be cooked whole
- eat whole
- swallow whole
- cook whole
- sell whole
- buy whole
Grammar Patterns
verb + noun + whole
Usage Note
Must follow the direct object. You say 'She ate the fish whole' but not '*Whole, she ate the fish' or '*She whole ate the fish'. Common verbs: eat, swallow, cook, sell, buy.
Common Mistakes
2. Used before an adjective to mean 'completely' or 'entirely', usually describing
Used before an adjective to mean 'completely' or 'entirely', usually describing a complete transformation or fresh start — for example, a whole new person, a whole new approach, or a whole different perspective.
Tanvi felt like a whole new person after her holiday in Japan.
a whole new + noun (complete transformation)
The renovation gave the kitchen a whole new look and a fresh feel.
Moving to a new city gave Ayana a whole new perspective on life.
a whole new + abstract noun
The latest software update created a whole new way of editing photos.
- whole new world
- whole new way
- whole new person
- whole new meaning
- whole new level
- completely
Lacks the informal, emphatic quality of 'whole new'. 'Completely new' is more neutral.
- entirely
Slightly more formal; interchangeable in most cases.
Grammar Patterns
a whole + [adjective] + noun
Usage Note
Always appears in the pattern 'a whole + adjective + noun', most commonly with 'new'. This sense cannot be used without the article: '*I feel whole new' is incorrect. Distinguish from adj/2 (EMPHASIZING SIZE) where 'whole' modifies the noun directly.
Common Mistakes
3. Used in fixed phrases like 'a whole different story' or 'a whole other matter' t
Used in fixed phrases like 'a whole different story' or 'a whole other matter' to indicate that something is completely separate, distinct, and not comparable to what was just mentioned.
That is a whole different story — we do not have time to discuss it now.
a whole different story (fixed phrase)
Being a parent is a whole other ball game, her friends warned her.
a whole other ball game (idiomatic)
The political situation in the north is a whole different matter entirely.
a whole different matter
Learning to drive is one thing, but racing cars is a whole other challenge.
- a whole different story
- a whole different matter
- a whole different thing
- a whole other ball game
- completely different
More formal and less emphatic than 'a whole different'. Can be used without 'a': 'It is completely different.'
- entirely different
Formal alternative; 'a whole different' is more conversational.
Grammar Patterns
a whole + different/other + noun
Usage Note
This sense only works in the fixed pattern 'a whole different/other/nother + noun'. 'A whole nother' is an informal variant used in American English. Distinguish from adv/2 (COMPLETELY NEW), which uses 'new' rather than 'different'/'other'.
Common Mistakes
4. Used before a collective noun like 'group' or 'bunch' to indicate that there is
Used before a collective noun like 'group' or 'bunch' to indicate that there is a complete, additional set or collection of something beyond what has already been mentioned.
There is a whole group of students waiting outside the classroom for you.
a whole group of + plural noun
Zayd invited a whole bunch of colleagues to the party last weekend.
A whole range of new products will be launched next quarter.
a whole range of + noun
Élise discovered a whole collection of old love letters in the attic.
a whole collection of + noun
- a whole group of
- a whole bunch of
- a whole range of
- a whole series of
- a whole collection of
Grammar Patterns
a whole + collective noun + of + noun
Usage Note
Always follows the pattern 'a whole + [collective noun] + of + [noun phrase]'. Without the article 'a', this sense does not work. Compare with adj/2 (EMPHASIZING SIZE): adj/2 can be used with individual nouns ('a whole month'), while this sense requires a collective grouping noun.
Common Mistakes
whole — noun
1. A thing that is complete in itself, with all its parts considered together as a
A thing that is complete in itself, with all its parts considered together as a single unit or system rather than separately.
The whole is greater than the sum of its individual parts.
the whole (philosophical context)
Each chapter is interesting, but the whole of the novel is truly remarkable.
the whole of + noun
The city is best understood as a whole, not district by district.
as a whole (fixed phrase)
When you look at the project as a whole, the progress is very impressive.
- as a whole
- the whole of
- a coherent whole
- the whole is greater
Grammar Patterns
as a whole
the whole
a whole
Usage Note
Often appears in the fixed phrase 'as a whole', which means 'considered together rather than in parts'. 'The whole of' is another common pattern, followed by a singular noun.
Common Mistakes
2. Every single part or member of a particular thing, group of things, or place, wi
Every single part or member of a particular thing, group of things, or place, without any exception.
Mathieu spent the whole of his savings on a second-hand car.
the whole of + possessive noun
The whole of the village came out to welcome the visitors with music.
Élise read the whole of the report in just one evening.
the whole of + noun (read/consume)
The earthquake affected the whole of the eastern coastal region.
- the whole of
- the whole of society
- the whole of the country
- the whole of the day
- all
Less formal and more common in everyday speech. 'All of the savings' vs 'the whole of the savings'.
- every part of
More explicit; emphasizes that not a single part is excluded.
Grammar Patterns
the whole of + noun
Usage Note
Always used with 'the' followed by 'of': 'the whole of + noun'. This is slightly more formal than using 'all of'. Compare with adj/1 (ENTIRE), which modifies the noun directly ('the whole village') versus this noun sense ('the whole of the village').
Common Mistakes
Word family
- wholenessnounC1
- whollyadverbB2
- wholeheartedadjectiveB2
- wholeheartedlyadverbC1
- wholemealadjectiveB1
- wholewheatadjectiveB1
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
All four words can describe something with nothing missing, but they differ in emphasis. 'Whole' (A2) is the most general and concrete — it stresses unity and that nothing has been divided or removed: 'the whole cake', 'the whole family'. 'Entire' (B1) is nearly interchangeable but slightly more formal and emphatic about every part being included: 'the entire population'. 'Complete' (B1) focuses on all necessary parts being present — it often implies a set of expected components: 'a complete set of tools'. 'Total' (B1) is broader, often used for amounts, sums, or abstract scope: 'total cost', 'total darkness'. 'Full' (A2) emphasizes capacity or maximum extent — 'a full glass of water' or 'a full day of work'. For physical objects that are not divided, 'whole' and 'entire' are the best choices. For abstract concepts needing every component, 'complete' works better. For numerical sums, 'total' is preferred.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word comes from Old English 'hāl', meaning 'entire, uninjured, healthy'. It is related to 'hale' (as in 'hale and hearty') and 'health', which originally meant 'soundness of body'. The word goes back to Proto-Germanic '*hailaz' (whole, sound) and further to the Proto-Indo-European root '*kailo-' meaning 'whole, uninjured, of good omen'. Over time, the spelling changed from 'hal' to 'whole' (with the 'w' from the Old English 'wh-' spelling influence), and the meaning expanded from 'healthy' to 'entire' and 'complete'. The sense of being 'healthy' (adj/3) is actually the oldest meaning, while the 'entire' sense (adj/1) gradually became the more common one.