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wholesome

adjective
whole·​some | \ ˈhƍl-səm How to pronounce wholesome (audio) \

Definition of wholesome

1 : promoting health or well-being of mind or spirit
2 : promoting health of body
3a : sound in body, mind, or morals
b : having the simple health or vigor of normal domesticity
4a : based on well-grounded fear : prudent a wholesome respect for the law
b : safe it wouldn't be wholesome for you to go down there— Mark Twain
Other Words from wholesome Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about wholesome

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Other Words from wholesome

wholesomely adverb
wholesomeness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for wholesome

healthful, wholesome, salubrious, salutary mean favorable to the health of mind or body. healthful implies a positive contribution to a healthy condition. a healthful diet wholesome applies to what benefits, builds up, or sustains physically, mentally, or spiritually. wholesome foods the movie is wholesome family entertainment salubrious applies chiefly to the helpful effects of climate or air. cool and salubrious weather salutary describes something corrective or beneficially effective, even though it may in itself be unpleasant. a salutary warning that resulted in increased production

healthy, sound, wholesome, robust, hale, well mean enjoying or indicative of good health. healthy implies full strength and vigor as well as freedom from signs of disease. a healthy family sound emphasizes the absence of disease, weakness, or malfunction. a sound heart wholesome implies appearance and behavior indicating soundness and balance. a face with a wholesome glow robust implies the opposite of all that is delicate or sickly. a lively, robust little boy hale applies particularly to robustness in old age. still hale at the age of eighty well implies merely freedom from disease or illness. she has never been a well person

Examples of wholesome in a Sentence

a wholesome dish made with vegetables less-than-wholesome entertainment that wasn't appropriate for children a young actor known for his wholesome good looks
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Recent Examples on the Web

 The spoof ad starts innocently enough, with the wholesome Manning encouraging everyone in the huddle to practice teamwork and have fun. — Los Angeles Times, "Tales from the NFL: Peyton Manning had fun hitting kids with footballs," 2 Sep. 2019 Because Bolden’s business, the vowel-spurning JSN Studio, includes an interior-design practice led by his husband, Adair Curtis, the show is also a wholesome domestic soap. — Troy Patterson, The New Yorker, "Why “Styling Hollywood” Is One of the Best Celebrity-Stylist Reality Shows," 30 Aug. 2019 But a wholesome desire to preserve ourselves from foolish or tyrannical rule often devolves into disdaining government altogether. — E.j. Dionne Jr., The Mercury News, "Dionne: How government can expand freedom," 27 Aug. 2019 Sadio Mane, Kevin De Bruyne and Teemu Pukki were the standout points scorers of the week, with Norwich's talismanic frontman bagging himself a wholesome 17 points after netting a hat-trick against Newcastle. — SI.com, "Fantasy Premier League: Ones to Watch Ahead of Gameweek 3," 22 Aug. 2019 Pro-China activists also appeared in Australia, Canada and Europe, putting on less-than-wholesome displays. — New York Times, "China’s Soft-Power Failure: Condemning Hong Kong’s Protests," 20 Aug. 2019 The track is an old-school ballad with a booming snare, keys and a wholesome '60s vibe. — Bonnie Stiernberg, Billboard, "Taylor Swift Releases 'Lover': Stream It Now," 16 Aug. 2019 So, find a favorite fruit, match a topping and enjoy your wholesome – but still decadent – dessert. — Marcy Goldman, Twin Cities, "With less sugar, these cobblers, crisps and crumbles let their fruit flavors shine brighter," 15 Aug. 2019 The ads, which ran in popular women’s magazines like McCall’s and Collier’s featured works of art that equated beer drinking with scenes of wholesome American life. — Melissa Hendrickson, Smithsonian, "How American Brewers Employed Fine Art to Sell Beer," 6 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wholesome.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of wholesome

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for wholesome

wholesome

adjective
How to pronounce wholesome (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of wholesome

: helping to keep your body healthy : good for your health
: morally good
: suggesting good health or behavior

See the full definition for wholesome in the English Language Learners Dictionary

wholesome

adjective
whole·​some | \ ˈhƍl-səm How to pronounce wholesome (audio) \

Kids Definition of wholesome

1 : helping to improve or keep the body in good condition wholesome food
2 : healthy for the mind or morals wholesome entertainment

Other Words from wholesome

wholesomeness noun

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