Word
holistic
Phoneticsholis·tic
US/hoʊˈɫɪstɪk/
UK/həlˈɪstɪk/
Definition
adj. dealing with something as a whole rather than just looking at its small parts. For example, a holistic doctor looks at your mind, diet, and lifestyle, not just your physical symptoms.
adj. characterised by the belief that the parts of something are intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole. Often describes approaches in medicine, education, or business that consider the entire system rather than isolated components.
Examples
“The school takes a holistic approach to student well-being.”
“A holistic review of the company's performance considers employee satisfaction and environmental impact alongside quarterly profits.”
“The therapist advocated for a holistic treatment plan that integrated nutritional counseling and mindfulness practices with traditional pharmacological interventions to address the patient's chronic anxiety.”
Examples
simple
“The school takes a holistic approach to student well-being.”
contextual
“A holistic review of the company's performance considers employee satisfaction and environmental impact alongside quarterly profits.”
complex
“The therapist advocated for a holistic treatment plan that integrated nutritional counseling and mindfulness practices with traditional pharmacological interventions to address the patient's chronic anxiety.”
Usage
Commonly modifies nouns like 'approach', 'view', 'perspective', or 'medicine'.
Real-World Examples
“Run by Ann Armbrecht, the program emphasizes holistic sustainability within herb farming – values and practices that center the wellbeing of both the land and the people growing and harvesting herbs.” “Was there a child taken off their meds but not offered holistic alternatives?” Etymology
From hol- + -istic. See holism.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Collocations
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/holistic