whole

whole adj

1 entire, *perfect, intact

Analogous words: sound, well, *healthy, robust, wholesome: complete, plenary, *full

Contrasted words: *deficient, defective: impaired, damaged, injured, marred (see INJURE)

2 Whole, entire, total, all, gross are comparable when they mean including each and every part, particle, individual, or instance of without exception.

Whole implies that nothing has been omitted, ignored, abated, or removed

{

he devoted his whole energy to the task

}

{

the whole congregation approved the pastor's policy

}

{

the whole army will be mobilized

}

{

the whole country was affected

}

Entire may be used in place of whole in any of these illustrations; it also can, as whole cannot, imply actual completeness or perfection from which not only nothing has been taken but to which nothing can be added

{

an entire stallion

}

{

whom to obey is happiness entire— Milton

}

{

gran ting entire liberty of conscience— Macaulay

}

Total implies that everything without exception has been counted, measured, weighed, or somehow included

{

the total amount expended for welfare payments

}

{

the total output of the factory last year

}

Sometimes especially when applied to something that is often incomplete, total is used as an indication that no reservation is made

{

total eclipse

}

{

total blindness

}

{

a total silence

}

All sometimes equals whole

{

all the city was in an uproar,

}

sometimes it comes closer to entire

{

all their affection was centered on their children,

}

and sometimes it equals total

{

all their earnings were insufficient for their needs)

}

Gross is used especially in financial statements in place of total to indicate that deductions (as for costs or expenses)

have not yet been made (gross earnings)

{

gross receipts

}

Antonyms: partial

whole n total, aggregate, *sum, amount, number, quantity

Antonyms: part: constituent: particular

Contrasted words: portion, piece, detail (see PART n): *item, detail: component, *element