wholly
gb/hˈoʊli/ us/hˈoʊli/
B2
English
~ 1600
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B2
property
1
completely or fully
Completely; in every way.
Usage pattern:
wholly [adjective]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'wholly' with 'holy' due to similar pronunciation, but they have very different meanings.
Synonyms
completely (Most common modern synonym in all contexts.)
|
entirely (Often interchangeable, slightly more formal.)
Antonyms
partially (Indicates that something is only true in part, not fully.)
|
incompletely (Direct opposite, meaning not done or not to the full extent.)
Collocations
wholly responsible
|wholly inadequate
|wholly dependent
|wholly unacceptable
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She was wholly responsible for the project's success.
- The proposal was wholly rejected by the committee.
- He is wholly dependent on his parents for support.
- Their account is wholly accurate.
- The plan is wholly unrealistic given the budget constraints.
Learner examples
- I am wholly sure about my choice.
- The city is wholly different now.
- She is wholly ready for the trip.
- This answer is wholly correct.
- He is wholly happy with the result.
Grammar
Dictionary form
wholly
IPA
GB/hˈoʊli/
US/hˈoʊli/
Syllables & stress
wholly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (wholly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: wholly
- Plural: whollies
Word family
Expressions
wholly owned subsidiary
1/hˈoʊli ˈoʊnd sʌbsˈɪdiˌɛɹi/
fixed phrase
business
company fully owned by another
A company that belongs 100% to another company.
Examples
- The firm operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of a large multinational.
- They acquired the business and turned it into a wholly owned subsidiary.
wholly owned subsidiary
2/hˈoʊli ˈoʊnd sʌbsˈɪdiˌɛɹi/
fixed phrase
technical
subsidiary 100% owned by parent
A company that is completely (100%) owned by one other company.
Examples
- The airline operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of the national carrier.
- They converted the joint venture into a wholly owned subsidiary after buying the remaining shares.
- The tech giant runs the start-up as a wholly owned subsidiary to test new products.