wholly

adverb

whol·​ly ˈhō(l)-lē How to pronounce wholly (audio)
Synonyms of whollynext
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

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
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.
Despite the deal’s collapse, Pierson still describes herself on her speaker’s agent web page as a board member of Forbes—which is wholly incorrect. — Monica Hunter-Hart, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025 Iger and Johnston also revealed that with Hulu now wholly owned by Disney, the company will fully integrate Hulu into Disney+, culminating in an entirely new app experience coming in 2026. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2025 In 2024, the Biden adminstration appropriated about $525 million in funds for the CPB to allocate among public radio and TV stations, including affiliates of NPR and PBS, as well as wholly independent outlets. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 2 Aug. 2025 The shift is wholly driven by more independents identifying as liberal; the percentage of Americans identifying as Democrats outright was actually down slightly. — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 31 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for wholly

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hoolly, from hool whole

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wholly was in the 14th century

Rhymes for wholly

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Browse Nearby Words

wholistic
wholly
whom
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Cite this Entry

“Wholly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wholly. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.

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Kids Definition

wholly

adverb
whol·​ly ˈhōl-(l)ē How to pronounce wholly (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on wholly

Nglish: Translation of wholly for Spanish Speakers

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