wholesuch

Wholesuch is a term used in theoretical discussions of semantics and ontology to describe a class of propositions about wholes that treat the whole as a single referent whose properties may depend on the properties of its parts.

Formally, a property P is wholesuch with respect to a whole W if P(W) is determined by a specified aggregation rule applied to the parts of W. A common rule is universalization: P(W) holds exactly when P applies to every part of W. Variants permit existential or averaged interpretations, and the exact rule can vary by domain or framework.

Wholesuch is a neologism combining "whole" and "such" to signal that certain predicates apply to wholes in a way that mirrors, or contrasts with, their application to parts. It has seen occasional use in philosophical discussions about composition and language, but is not part of mainstream terminology and lacks a standardized formalism.

Examples and implications: If the property P is "is edible" under a wholesuch rule using universalization, a basket is edible only if every item in the basket is edible; otherwise not. The concept helps illuminate debates about whether wholes inherit, modify, or discard properties of their parts, and it can be used to contrast mereological holism with reductionist accounts of property attribution.

See also: mereology, holism, reductionism, property attribution, composition. Notes: The term remains theoretical and is subject to ongoing debate about its precise formalism and best uses in analysis of language and ontology.