| English > English |
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| on the whole |
| 1. prep. For the most part; apart from some insignificant details. |
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| The language was wrong for the period, but, on the whole, I enjoyed the film. |
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| Analysis |
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| on |
| 1. adj. In the state of being active, functioning or operating. |
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| 2. adj. Performing according to schedule. |
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| Are we still on for tonight? |
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| Is the show still on? |
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| 3. adj. (chiefly UK, informal, usually negative) Acceptable, appropriate. |
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| the |
| 1. art. Definite grammatical article that implies necessarily that an entity it articulates is presupposed; something already mentioned, or completely specified later in that same sentence, or assumed already |
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| I’m reading the book. (Compare I’m reading a book.) |
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| The street in front of your house. (Compare A street in Paris.) |
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| The men and women watched the man give the birdseed to the bird. |
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| 2. art. Used before a noun modified by a restrictive relative clause, indicating that the noun refers to a single referent defined by the relative clause. |
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| whole |
| 1. adj. Entire. |
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| I ate a whole fish. |
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| 2. adj. (Used as an intensifier.) |
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| I brought a whole lot of balloons for the party. She ate a whole bunch of french fries. |
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| 3. adj. Sound, uninjured, healthy. |
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