🟢 Complete or entire 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Same parents 🔵 The entirety 💪 Healthy or unhurt

whole

642 6.5

A person who has the same mother and father

adjective
/hoʊl/

: hermanos de los mismos padres

Having whole siblings means we grew up with the same parents and shared a close bond.

Examples

Speaking of which, we got a photo of their whole family together.
So, yeah, the whole family is on it, man.
We're meeting with the whole family.

Air (2023)
And it was the happiest time for my whole family, right?
My sister's getting married this weekend, so the whole fam's in town.
My brother and I are whole siblings, sharing both of our parents.
The researcher studied families with whole siblings to understand their dynamics.

Antonyms

half-brother

46 2.1

A brother who has only one parent in common with you

half

4 1.0

A brother or sister who has only one parent in common

Idioms

as a whole

240 3.5

Considering all parts together

on the whole

33 3.3

In general, something is true when you think about everything

the whole enchilada

Informal

4 7.0

Everything included in a deal or plan

whole kit and caboodle

Informal

4 6.7

All the things and people connected with something

whole ball of wax

Informal

2 7.1

All the parts and activities of a project or situation

from whole cloth

Informal

1 9.1

Completely made up with no real facts

the whole bakery

Informal

9.9

To have everything you want and every advantage

whole kit and boodle

Informal

6.7

All the things in a group or set

Compounds

whole house

49 1.6

All parts and rooms of a house taken together as one

whole grain

23 2.7

A grain that still has all its natural parts, like the outer layer and soft inside

whole-wheat

22 2.8

Made from wheat that keeps all parts of the grain, like bran and germ

whole milk

11 1.0

Milk that still has its natural fat, about three percent

whole shebang

Informal

7 8.0

Everything that is part of something

whole kit

Informal

3 5.2

All the things you need for an activity, like tools and supplies

whole wheat bread

3 1.0

A type of bread made from the whole wheat grain that is denser and healthier than white bread

whole number

Specialized

3 2.1

A number with no fraction and no decimal, such as 0, 1, or -3

whole wheat flour

2 2.5

Powder made from whole wheat used for baking bread

whole blood

Specialized

2 3.9

Blood taken from the body that still has all its cells and clotting parts

whole works

Informal

2 3.9

Everything included, for example all parts or options

whole shooting match

Informal

1 7.7

All the things that are part of a situation

whole note

Specialized

1 4.2

A musical note that lasts for four beats in common time

whole caboodle

Informal

1 7.7

All the things or people involved

whole life insurance

Specialized

1 3.9

A plan that pays a fixed amount when you die and has payments that stay the same for life

whole step

Specialized

1 5.4

The distance between two notes that are two piano keys apart

whole tone

Specialized

1 6.6

An interval of two semitones used in many musical scales

part to whole relation

Specialized

7.0

A relation where a smaller part belongs to a larger whole, like a wheel and a car

whole meal flour

3.5

Powder made by grinding whole wheat grain including the bran

whole gale

Specialized

9.1

A very strong wind blowing at about 100 kilometres an hour

whole name

Specialized

9.0

The name of the whole thing that parts belong to, like 'tree' for branches

whole to part relation

Specialized

7.5

A link showing how a thing is made of smaller pieces

whole rest

Specialized

4.0

A silent part in music that usually lasts four beats

whole-souled

Literature

8.9

To give strong, honest support with all your heart and energy

whole-word method

Archaic

6.2

A way of teaching reading that has learners memorize whole printed words and their sounds

Surface Forms

whole positive

Etymology

Whole keeps an old sense from hāl meaning 'complete' or 'not half'. That's why a 'whole' brother or sister is a full brother or sister, not a half one.