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

• all
• all of
• all over
• altogether
• clean
• completely
• dead
• enough
• entire
• entirely
• even
• exactly
• fast
• flat
• full
• fully
• heartily
• out
• perfectly
• plumb [chiefly dialect]
• quite
• soundly
• thoroughly
• through and through
• totally
• utterly
• well
• wide

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

Some of the best ready-to-wear suits on the market come from such brands, whose wholly distinctive points of view provide a welcome departure from the rigidity of many bespoke tailors’ house styles. —Aleks Cvetkovic, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2025

The reality star paired the piece with a black miniskirt, sheer black tights and black pumps for a wholly monochrome look that mimicked the color choices of her family. —Julia Teti, WWD, 24 Jan. 2025

So rather than focusing on a scale number, devote your attention to the habits above—which are both wholly in your control and proven to lower cancer risk. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 23 Jan. 2025

Outside of general crimes committed by the industry in virtually ignoring Luca Guadagnino’s incredible early-season entry throughout the entire awards season, hope remained that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ wholly unique arrangement might carry the torch for the project in a sole category. —Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hoolly, from hool whole

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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