1
: to the full or entire extent : completely
a wholly owned subsidiary
2
: to the exclusion of other things : solely
a book dealing wholly with herbs
Examples of wholly in a Sentence
She is wholly devoted to her children.
An infant is wholly dependent on its mother.
The claim is wholly without merit.
Recent Examples on the Web
Doom and gloom narratives surrounding both climate and AI are understandable but wholly incomplete.
—
Preston Fore, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
On either side of the cool, free-flowing river, hollows flanking the water conceal outtakes from another time—from prehistoric sites dating back thousands of years to untamed wilderness and waterfalls left wholly untouched.
—Katie Strasberg Rousso, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
To me Conrad is wholly fantasy, the dream man for the millions of Gen Z and millennial (and even older) women who have spent their entire lives dating fuckboys in hopes of a prince.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2025
As 2009 research from the South African Journal of Wildlife Research notes, genetic analysis confirmed that the quagga was, indeed, a subspecies of the plains zebra, rather than wholly separate.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wholly
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Preston Fore, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
On either side of the cool, free-flowing river, hollows flanking the water conceal outtakes from another time—from prehistoric sites dating back thousands of years to untamed wilderness and waterfalls left wholly untouched.
—Katie Strasberg Rousso, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
To me Conrad is wholly fantasy, the dream man for the millions of Gen Z and millennial (and even older) women who have spent their entire lives dating fuckboys in hopes of a prince.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2025
As 2009 research from the South African Journal of Wildlife Research notes, genetic analysis confirmed that the quagga was, indeed, a subspecies of the plains zebra, rather than wholly separate.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wholly
Cite this Entry
“Wholly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wholly. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wholly
adverb
whol·ly
ˈhōl-(l)ē 
1
: to the full or entire extent : completely
a wholly different view
2
: to the exclusion of other things : solely
a book devoted wholly to sports cars
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