wholly
/ˈhəʊ.li/
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
Completely and entirely; to the fullest extent.
Adverb
Examples
wholly wrong
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
Completely and entirely; to the fullest extent. — Very; to a great extent.
AdverbRegister: informal
Examples
‘You ain't very strong, are you?’ said a neighbour with sympathetic intent, and ‘You don't have very good health, I expect?’ asked another. Mr Colville said, ‘He do look wholly pale, that's a fact.’ The word ‘wholly’ thus used puzzled me for some time. In Suffolk it is used for ‘very’ or ‘really’, a
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “wholly” mean?
Completely and entirely; to the fullest extent.
Is “wholly” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.