What does "wholesome" mean?

1. (healthy for the body) good for your physical health, especially when talking about food. 2. (morally good or decent) good for your mind or character because it is honest, kind, and not offensive.

How do you use "wholesome"?

Usually precedes the noun it describes.

wholesome

adj.

US //ˈhoʊɫsəm// UK //hˈəʊlsʌm// whole·some

1 healthy for the body (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

good for your physical health, especially when talking about food.

conducive to physical health and well-being; typically used to describe nutritious, natural food.

Example

The farm shop sells wholesome bread and fresh vegetables grown in the local fields.

Example

The retreat focused on providing wholesome meals prepared with organic ingredients to help guests restore their physical vitality.

Usage

Usually precedes the noun it describes.
- unhealthy
- processed
2 morally good or decent (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

good for your mind or character because it is honest, kind, and not offensive.

promoting moral well-being or suggesting a pure and decent character; often used for family-friendly entertainment.

Example

It was a wholesome film that the whole family could enjoy together.

Example

The brand built its reputation on a wholesome image, featuring advertisements that celebrated traditional community values and simple living.

Teacher's tip

In modern internet slang, this is often used to describe content that is heartwarming or emotionally uplifting.

Origin

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”).