wholly

adverb

whol·​ly ˈhō(l)-lē 

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

• completely
• fully
• totally
• utterly
• quite
• perfectly
• entirely
• all
• thoroughly
• even
• fast

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

Soares finds tech firms’ current safety mitigations wholly inadequate. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2025

The arrival of a voice, and in that voice, a wholly indelible character. —Katie Kitamura august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025

The look was wholly evocative of Western style thanks to its lace trimmings and satin fabric at the waist. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2025

Where to watch: Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Amazon ‘Lilo & Stitch’ The wholly unnecessary remake seems like an excessively earnest Disney Channel movie compared with the delightfully unhinged 2002 cartoon. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hoolly, from hool whole

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for wholly

• coaly
• coli
• foley
• folie
• goalie
• holy
• lowly
• moly
• slowly
• tolly
• acholi
• emboli

Kids 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