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
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
Each dish feels wholly French — fine sauces, exquisite plating, a rainbow garden of microgreens and tweezered blossoms — but those in the know will find the Vietnamese inherent in each.
—
Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2024
The sisters, who are the daughters of the late Princess of Wales’ brother Charles Spencer, wholly embraced quiet luxury with sophisticated white and ivory looks.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 17 June 2024
Chef Angie Mar of N.Y.C.’s Le B. serves a salad Chinoise wholly unlike the one Wolfgang Puck made famous—but his had little to do with China, anyway.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 15 June 2024
Stump further notes his kids' love of his work on the series is wholly organic.
—Chris Barilla, Peoplemag, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for wholly 
Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2024
The sisters, who are the daughters of the late Princess of Wales’ brother Charles Spencer, wholly embraced quiet luxury with sophisticated white and ivory looks.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 17 June 2024
Chef Angie Mar of N.Y.C.’s Le B. serves a salad Chinoise wholly unlike the one Wolfgang Puck made famous—but his had little to do with China, anyway.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 15 June 2024
Stump further notes his kids' love of his work on the series is wholly organic.
—Chris Barilla, Peoplemag, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for wholly
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wholly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near wholly
Cite this Entry
“Wholly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wholly. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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