English Explanatory Dictionary

wholesome

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Promoting good physical health and well-being.
  2. Promoting moral and mental well-being.
  3. Favorable to morals, religion or prosperity; sensible; conducive to good; salutary; promoting virtue or being virtuous.
  4. Marked by wholeness; sound and healthy.
  5. Decent; innocuous; sweet.

Pronunciation

/ˈhoʊl.səm/ /ˈhəʊl.səm/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wholesome.wav

Word forms

wholesome more wholesome wholesomer most wholesome wholesomest holesom holesome wholsom wholsome

Etymology

From earlier holesome, from Middle English holsom, holsum, helsum, halsum, from Old English *hālsum, *hǣlsum, from Proto-West Germanic *hailasam, from Proto-Germanic *hailasamaz, equivalent to whole + -some or hale (“healthy”) + -some. Cognate with Saterland Frisian heelsoam, Dutch heilzaam, German Low German heelsaam, German heilsam, Icelandic heilsamur, Norwegian Nynorsk helsesam, Swedish hälsosam (“wholesome”).

Synonyms

healthy healthful salubrious

Antonyms

unwholesome

Derived words

wholesomely wholesomeness
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