wholistic

Wholistic is a variant spelling of holistic, referring to approaches that consider systems and individuals as integrated wholes rather than just a collection of parts. In wholistic thinking, outcomes are seen as the result of interactions among biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors, and interventions are aimed at broader contexts rather than isolated symptoms.

The term traces to the same root as holistic, emphasizing wholes rather than fragments. It has appeared in various disciplines since the early 20th century and remains common in wellness, education, and some strands of social and environmental practice. While many writers use wholistic and holistic interchangeably, some editors and dictionaries treat wholistic as a distinct but less standard variant.

In practice, wholistic thinking is employed in fields such as complementary and alternative medicine, counseling, life coaching, and systems thinking. Proponents argue that focusing on the whole—body, mind, community, and environment—helps address root causes and interdependencies rather than merely alleviating individual symptoms.

Reception and terminology vary. Critics note that both wholistic and holistic can be vague or ill defined when used outside careful methodological bounds, and the term may be adopted for marketing purposes. In formal medical or scientific contexts, holistic remains the more widely recognized term, while wholistic is generally regarded as a variant spelling with similar meaning.

Overall, wholistic signals an emphasis on comprehensive, integrated approaches that acknowledge interconnections within complex systems, even as the preferred spelling may differ by publication or field.