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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word whole distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of whole are all, entire, and total. While all these words mean "including everything or everyone without exception," whole implies that nothing has been omitted, ignored, abated, or taken away.

read the whole book

How is all related to other words for whole?

All may equal whole, entire, or total.

all proceeds go to charity

When could entire be used to replace whole?

The words entire and whole are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, entire may suggest a state of completeness or perfection to which nothing can be added.

the entire population was wiped out

When would total be a good substitute for whole?

While in some cases nearly identical to whole, total implies that everything has been counted, weighed, measured, or considered.

the total number of people present

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of whole
Adjective
The command center overhead stocked a whole town’s worth (450 tonnes) of equipment — including bunk beds, dry toilets, water, and other supplies — ready to be mobilized into the tunnels below by way of dolly carts. Jessi Jezewska Stevens, The Dial, 24 Apr. 2025 Packed up his whole life, sold his house, gave up his job, and was on the cusp of a new life. Maureen Maher, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
But its implications will be momentous, given that de minimis trade has ballooned to nearly 4 million packages each day, reaching nearly 1.4 billion for the whole of 2024. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 8 Apr. 2025 The gap could be attributed, in part, to the loss of one major studio after Disney swallowed 20th Century Fox whole in 2019. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for whole
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whole
Adjective
  • Also while at Kansas, Townsend has coached 13 NBA Draft lottery selections, more than 30 overall NBA draftees and 70 all-Big 12 Jayhawks.
    Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2025
  • This touchscreen laptop is big on power, but small in stature thanks to a Ryzen 7 CPU and an all-metal chassis weighing only 3.62 pounds.
    Jade Chung-Lee, PC Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • As a reliever who started the season healthy, Minter might not need that much time to build up.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2025
  • The Seeding Square is a sturdy plastic template that helps properly space seeds and seedlings for healthy plants and bountiful harvests.
    Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • After hatching, the tiny insects live almost their entire lives in the web of a single spider, eating any weakened or recently deceased insects that have been caught by their host – all while adorned in a grisly collection of body parts.
    Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Healthy wolf populations help the entire ecosystem, since wolves manage populations of deer and other prey, causing a ripple effect that can balance the whole food web.
    Olivia Ferrari, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • New members who join the program in May will be automatically entered to win, and a total of 12 winners will be selected at random, the chain said in a news release.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Half of states in the US are now reporting measles cases, with the national total surpassing 800 cases so far this year, according to a CNN tally.
    Neha Mukherjee, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Residents in dozens of other states can put the kids to bed and then give their undivided attention to watching their state legislators at work for their constituents.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Other times, dense prose or consonant heavy character names require undivided attention to maintain reading momentum.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Crockpots are still made well, as are, in my experience anyway, the more modernized version: Instant Pots.
    Parker Hall, WIRED, 2 Feb. 2025
  • The witch’s magic is still MIA, but her attitude is well and truly back.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 19 Sep. 2024
Adjective
  • All of the demolition and earthwork is complete, and the structure of the new stand is already being put into place.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The case will be reviewed by Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador once the investigation is complete, CBS affiliate KBOI reported.
    CBS News, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The remarkable images — taken from Quebec, Canada, during the March 29, 2025, partial solar eclipse — reveal the sun's outer atmosphere — a feature typically visible only during the brief moments of totality during a total solar eclipse.
    Jamie Carter, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2025
  • For endurance specifically, looking at the totality of evidence, Jones figures there’s a real effect.
    Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 19 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Whole.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whole. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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