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

Alike in prehistoric, ancient and medieval times--in peace and in war--high civilizations and… Malta: an Account and an Appreciation A former Lieutenant-Governor of the island has written a pleasant and informative book, part history, part travel guide, but wholly appreciative. —A. S. V. S., Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024

Steep pay cuts also prompted many pilots to resign and Cathay’s business, which is a wholly international affair given Hong Kong has no domestic flights, still isn’t back to pre-Covid levels. —Eli Joseph, Fortune Asia, 6 June 2024

That’s a disappointing limitation but not wholly surprising. —Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 31 May 2024

Or maybe nothing of the sort happens, and the coming weeks surprise us in wholly unexpected ways. —Philip Elliott, TIME, 30 May 2024

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