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

Via visual gags, a cast of gifted comic actors and a script that pulls both from ’80s and ’90s TV movies and screen classics like Suddenly, Last Summer and The Children’s Hour, Maddie’s Secret straddles the line between comedy and melodrama, creating a wholly unique cinematic experience. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2025

The second inning was wholly uneventful. —Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025

For so many others the osmosis is slower and less conspicuous—the constant stress on one’s nerves from underpay and overwork and the rent being too high and our world, generally, being wholly unfair. —P.e. Moskowitz september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025

Tuesday's action caught large swaths of the administration wholly off-guard, sources familiar with the matter say. —Mariam Khan, ABC News, 11 Sep. 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