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
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
Substrate Checkmate The fact that cloud-native applications (in so many instances) fail to be wholly integrated with the lower substrate services that underpin them is enough to upset any self-respecting cloud architect.
—
Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
At Stella McCartney’s fall 2025 ready-to-wear runway show during Paris Fashion Week, Macron wore a tiger-print midi dress with a tie-neck detail, paired with edgy thigh-high boots, wholly demonstrating the versatility of her wardrobe.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 8 Apr. 2025
But the finale undermined—and wholly ignored—some of the season’s more interesting ideas.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
Of course, venturing outside of the cities is not wholly new for Michelin.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wholly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
At Stella McCartney’s fall 2025 ready-to-wear runway show during Paris Fashion Week, Macron wore a tiger-print midi dress with a tie-neck detail, paired with edgy thigh-high boots, wholly demonstrating the versatility of her wardrobe.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 8 Apr. 2025
But the finale undermined—and wholly ignored—some of the season’s more interesting ideas.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
Of course, venturing outside of the cities is not wholly new for Michelin.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wholly
Cite this Entry
“Wholly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wholly. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share