wholly

Wholly is an English adverb meaning entirely or completely, used to intensify adjectives, verbs, or participles to express totality. It can modify adjectives (wholly inadequate), verbs (the plan was wholly approved), or past participles (the project is wholly funded). It is roughly synonymous with completely, entirely, and totally, though it can convey a stronger sense of totality in some contexts. In formal writing, you may encounter phrases like wholly owned or wholly independent, where wholly modifies a noun phrase.

Etymology and related notes: Wholly derives from the adjective whole, with the adverbial suffix -ly. The underlying word whole comes from Old English hal, related to hale and healthy. Wholly is not related to holy (sacred) or holey (full of holes), though they are homographs in modern English.

Usage considerations: Use wholly when you want to stress totality; with adjectives that are already absolute, it can feel redundant, while with moderate adjectives it adds emphasis. In everyday speech, completely is often more common, but wholly remains appropriate in formal or emphatic writing.

Examples: The plan was wholly inadequate. The exhibit was wholly funded by donations. She is wholly committed to the project. The company is wholly owned by a parent corporation.